LUCAS AND PEYTON: THE REVENGE OF RICKY'S BROTHER
by GREATSHOW
Summary: Brother to slain Murderer Ricky Langs, Dillon Fortune will make them pay as the pair known as Lucas and Peyton will be led into the very mansion where it all ended, fighting to survive alongside friends Nathan and Haley and Brooke and Felix.
1. THE PROLOGUE

**FIVE YEARS AGO... with Lucas and Peyton: Years After Tree Hill...**

an all-out, man-against-man war took place at Valentine Mansion...

Tonight...it will take place again...

**The words:**

"The worst thing you can ever do to a man, Scott, is make him suffer. Death is too easy for him."

"You just let the love of my life die, so don't you call me brother."

"Peyton's alive...And God help Ricky if he thinks he's going to stop me this time."

**The passion:**

"I love you, Lucas."

"And I have always loved you, Peyton Sawyer."

"Do you hear me, Mcfadden? I love you!"

"It's you, Brooke. Twenty three years and I've never loved anything but you. Only you."

POW!

"Nooooooooo!"

**The Anger:**

"A friend for a friend, eh, Scott. A friend for a friend."

POW!

Lucas holding a smoking gun as the man lay dead.

**FIVE YEARS AGO...It was Lucas against Ricky**

...this year...Lucas will know... **THE REVENGE OF RICKY'S BROTHER**


	2. ACT 1, PART 1

**ACT 1**

FADE IN

CHICAGO CITY - OUTSIDE PETULUM PRISON - DAY TIME

It's quiet and serene...

a few guards here and there.

But...

INSIDE

all hell is breaking loose --

as --

IN THE SHOWER

Men are fighting to their knuckles bleed; some dressed, others naked...and all relentless.

One Crazy man yelling out.

CRAZY MAN: Don't drop the soap! Don't drop the soap!

The emergency sprinklers of the ceiling going off, wetting the place as if a fire has just been set ablaze.

Two Muscular Men grabbing hold of one Tall Dark-Haired Handsome guy, forcing him to his knees over the stool.

FIRST MUSCULAR MAN: Yeah, there we go...time to bust his ass!

A few men stopping to watch, and others carrying on with their own fighting, banging heads into the wall, breaking jaws, teeth.

Tall Dark-Haired Man struggling against the two Muscular Men as they hold him over the toilet.

SECOND MUSCULAR MAN: Stay still, you prick.

FIRST MUSCULAR MAN: Yeah... finally getting a piece of you is going to be heaven.

First Muscular Man unzipping his pants.

FIRST MUSCULAR MAN: Do you know what it's like to be raped by a 7?

The water from the fire sprinklers pouring down in his face, Tall Dark-Haired Man sneers.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: No, but your mother does.

Second Muscular Man punching him in the nose for this, once again holding his face against the toilet.

As First Muscular Man angers.

FIRST MUSCULAR MAN: You know..it's a shame you don't have the skills that your brother had...because if you did...you might very well be out there painting the town red instead of in here about to become somebody's bitch.

First Musclaur Man grinning.

FIRST MUSCULAR MAN: My bitch.

As he then goes to lower himself onto the guy, but –

Tall Dark-Haired Man grinding his teeth together.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: We'll see who's the bitch.

And with that, Tall Dark-Haired Man reaching over and pulling a string on the side of the stall –

STUCK!

A NEEDLE FLIES into the back of First Muscular Man's neck...

First Muscular Man stopping in his place, stiff as he reaches to his neck and pulls out the weapon, blood squirting from his wound...

...then looking to his buddie next to him, who just so happens to be looking at Tall Dark-Haired Man in awe...

First Muscular Man collapsing to the floor, twitching painfully.

The fighting crowd stopping to look at what's been done.

THE ALARMS suddenly going off.

Tall Dark-Haired Man coming to his feet to look at them all.

...then down at his twitching enemy.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: Me not having the skills? I've been escaping assholes like you for five years now, and me...without skills? I don't think so.

Tall Dark-Haired Man walking over to the wall, where he pulls out a loose brick, the tiny hole in it where the needle shot out, and a string of some sort at the back.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: Quato needle. New line from Japan – paralyzes the muscles on impact...complex serum, at that.

He bends down, lifting the tiles in front of him...all amazingly loose...the string from the wall's brick leading to those very ones, and all the way back to the toilet's open stall.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: And all tied to this little string here...when forcefully pulled unleashes the prepared pressure behind the tile to this wall to shoot every single one of you suckers flat.

Tall Dark-Haired Man standing to sneer at his fellow inmates.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: Any of you ever find it weird that every time you send your thugs in here to, what, finish me off? About once a year, I think. That, well, I never get finished, now do I?

One criminal shaking his head in agreement.

ONE CRIMINAL: Eh, yeah..he get's out today, man. After today, he's free from all of us.

Second Musular Man frowning.

SECOND MUSULAR MAN: Not if we have anything to do about, he won't.

The inmates all charging at Tall Dark-Haired Man as he sighs.

TALL DARK-HAIRED MAN: Ah, not again.

Tall Dark-Haired Man knocking a few inmates in the face, grabbing one and slamming him into the next.

One inmate pulling out a rope and tossing it around Tall Dark-Haired Man's neck, Tall Dark-Haired Man struggling against it.

The others taking advantage of his position, and punching at him anyway they can.

Crazy man yelling.

CRAZY MAN: Don't drop the soap! Don't drop the soap!

Tall Dark-Haired Man head-butting the dude behind him, then using the roap to put around another enemy's neck and yank him to the floor, Tall Dark-Haired Man then backflipping into the stall to jump-kick down at the men who attack him, knocking heads, breaking legs whatever he can...an all-out war

AS AT THE FRONT DOOR

The Guards come rushing in through the doors, protective shields in their hands, batons and all, screaming what they've become used to screaming.

GUARD: Okay, you lowlifes, break it up!

The guards suddenly stopping, stunned by the sight before them...

AS we

now see every single dangerous inmate splayed out on the floor, beaten up and moaning in pain...

...Tall Dark-Haired Man above them, then looking up at the cops and shrugging.

Crazy man yelling once again.

CRAZY MAN: Don't drop the soap!

The guards looking to Tall Dark-Haired Man.

SECOND GUARD: Jeez, Dillon.

Then shaking their heads at the fallen fools.

THIRD GUARD: Will they ever learn?

**AS IN A DARKENED ROOM - MOMENTS LATER**

Tall Dark-Haired Man known as DILLON sits in front of a STERN-LOOKING WOMAN and a STERN-LOOKING MAN, prison guards guarding the double doors...a suited fellow behind them.

STERN-LOOKING WOMAN: It's already been addressed that you're up for parole as of now. That's not the issue here. But after your violent partaking in today's recent of events, why do you feel it is we should let you out at all?

Dillon, playing with the small box of matches in his hand, pulls out a mirror, checking out his hair in it, spiking it up, and then looking back at Stern-Looking Woman.

DILLON: Because it's like you said, this isn't the issue.

He lets the mirror rest in his palm, dropping his hand to his side.

DILLON: I'm suppose to get out today, and that's that.

STERN-LOOKING WOMAN: The men you battered–

DILLON: Were going to batter me.

Stern-Looking Man tries to speak up.

STERN-LOOKING MAN: Now, listen –

Dillon cutting him off and talking instead –

DILLON: You know how it is in here... What was I suppose to do?

He frowns.

DILLON: Some people like to play with fire.

Dillon lighting one of the matches in his hand.

DILLON: But fire doesn't like to play with them.

He blows out the flame...the stern-looking two watching him as he has an evil sparkle in his eye.

Stern-looking woman gesturing for the Well-Dressed Fellow to come to her as she whispers.

STERN-LOOKING WOMAN: What do you think? If we let him out, he may just cause bigger problems.

WELL-DRESSED FELLOW: He can't stay here. You know why?

STERN-LOOKING WOMAN: I don't want to let him walk through those doors.

WELL-DRESSED MAN: Think of what he'll do to this prison, if you don't.

Stern-looking Woman then looking concerned.

CUT TO:

OUTSIDE PETULUM PRISON

Dillon walking through the gates as he is greeted by a bunch of hard-core-looking thugs.

One hugging him.

FIRST THUG: It's good to have you back, Dillon.

DILLON: It's good to be back.

He looks around, unsure of something as the others cheer his release.

DILLON: But what of Ricky? Why isn't he here? Is the bastard getting serviced by some bitch or what? How about still on the run from the law?

The cheering is silenced, people looking away...

First thug bending his head down in sorrow.

DILLON: What is it, Goon?

Goon signaling a tall thug to hand Dillon a bag.

Dillon looking weird at first, then reaching into it and pulling out its contents...his face dropping in sadness...Goon explaining.

GOON: We wanted to tell you... But the officials knew of your temper...they feared what might happen within their prison walls... It happened a few months after you were locked up.

Dillon looking over the pictures from several newspapers that read: Death Of One-Time Cop, Now Cime Lord Ricky Langs Shot Outside Of Secluded Mansion.

Goon still explaining.

GOON: They told us television sets and other stuff were kept from you too, man. Other inmates they knew who might find out – wouldn't tell – because they hated you... After a while they even convinced us that it was right...that not letting you know, and that --

Dillon holding up a hand as to silence his friend.

DILLON: Lucas Scott.

Dillon sees a section that praises this man: Hero and Rookie Lucas Eugene Scott...Who Was Promoted To Lieutenant Practically OverNight... Responsible For Slaying Of Ricky Langs.

Goon seeing this.

GOON: He's the one... He killed your brother.

Dillon, tears forming in his eyes, rips at the paper furiously...

DILLON: He'll pay.

Dillon walking over to the cars, leaning over them...he seems to be having a near breakdown...the others walking to him.

GOON: Dillon, you okay, man?

Dillon looking up to the sky and screaming in agony.

DILLON: RICKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKY! 


	3. PART 2

**AS SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE CITY**

IN A FANCY HOUSE - INSIDE ITS ROOM

28-YEAR-OLD LUCAS SCOTT jets up from the bed, breathing heavily.

PEYTON: Lucas, it was just a dream. You okay?

We see 28-YEAR-OLD PEYTON SAWYER SCOTT comforting the man beside her, her hand on his shoulder.

Lucas is silent, Peyton knowing all too well what it's about.

PEYTON: Lucas, it's been five years... You gotta let it go.

LUCAS: I know.

He sighs.

LUCAS: It's just – I killed a man, Peyton.

He scoffs incredulously.

LUCAS: Two.

PEYTON: Yeah...and they were criminals, Lucas. They would have killed us if you hadn't –

LUCAS: I know

He looks to her searchingly.

LUCAS: And I was okay with it, and after years of this cop-thing I know it comes with the territory...but then...some other things came into play – and I wasn't so okay with it.

PEYTON: Things like what? You want to talk about it?

He stares at her, then smiles, bringing her hand to rest against his cheek, where his sheik sideburns trail up into the rest of his light hair.

LUCAS: No.

He kisses her brow.

LUCAS: It's nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about.

Peyton smiles, taking his gorgeous face into her hands.

PEYTON: I have a pretty head, you say?

Lucas grins.

LUCAS: A very pretty head.

They kiss.

But

Abruptly

The door whooshes open --

a little enthusiastic blond boy around the age of five jetting in, running towards them.

LITTLE BLOND BOY: Mommy!

He happily jumps on their bed, coming in between them.

LITTLE BLOND BOY: Daddy!

Lucas smirks.

LUCAS: Hey, there, little man.

LITTLE BLOND BOY: You and mommy weren't kissing again, were you? Because that's just gross.

Lucas and Peyton laughing.

Lucas pulling his son into a playful headlock.

LUCAS: I'll show you gross.

Lucas rubbing the boy's skull with his elbow, the boy squealing in giddiness.

– and their playing knocking over a wedding photo of Lucas and Peyton; it cracks...

**AS LATER IN THE KITCHEN**

Peyton is at the stove, cooking breakfast...or at least trying to.

Lucas, all dressed in his lieutenant attire, standing by the table popping a biscuit into his mouth...

and little blond boy putting on his backpack.

LUCAS: Dusty, you got your coloring book with you?

DUSTY: Yeah, daddy.

LUCAS: Here, give me a hug before you leave.

The adorable boy does so...an ELDERLY WOMAN coming out to stand with them.

LUCAS: Okay, Merna, get this little tyke off to school.

MERNA: Yes, Mr. Scott.

Peyton looking over her shoulder at the three.

PEYTON: Not before giving me a kiss.

Dusty runs to her, his big blue eyes earnest and happy...his blond hair swaying with his tiny pace.

He throws his arms around his mother.

DUSTY: I love you, mommy.

PEYTON: I love you too, Dusty.

She pecks his cheek.

PEYTON: We gotta start getting you to school on time, babe. Third week in a row we're sending you off at nine thirty.

The boy runs back to Merna, grabbing her hand.

MERNA: Come on, Dusty.

They leave.

Lucas immediately grinning Peyton's way.

PEYTON: Don't even think about it.

LUCAS: What? You're not even looking at me. How could you possibly guess what I'm thinking?

PEYTON: I just know.

Lucas coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

PEYTON: You know, that goes for you too. The captain isn't going to keep giving you a look-away every time you show up for work late.

LUCAS: It's only my second time.

Peyton turning off the stove, looking at the burnt food on the oven.

PEYTON: Damn!

Lucas laughing.

LUCAS: You never were good at this cooking-thing.

She turns to him, embracing his closeness.

PEYTON: Is that right?

LUCAS: Mm-hmm.

He touches his lips to hers...

Peyton pulling away.

PEYTON: Lucas, we have to pay the bills. The light company has been calling and –

He touches his lips to hers again.

...pushing back a strand of her golden mane as he gazes at her beautiful features.

LUCAS: We forgot that too, huh?

PEYTON: Yeah, what is going on with us, Lucas? I mean, we only have one kid. One. And we're certainly not poor. We need to get on the ball and chain here.

Lucas pulls away this time.

LUCAS: You're right.

He grabs his cap from the table, putting it on...then taking his keys.

LUCAS: Certainly right.

He starts to exit.

LUCAS: I'm on my way now.

He leaves, shutting the door quickly.

Peyton sighing, checking her watch, and looking at the door...  
almost as if she's expecting –

and he's back, Lucas coming in through the door, smiling wide, and tossing the keys and hat to the floor.

LUCAS: To hell with it.

Peyton smiling as he pulls her into his arms, and they kiss passionately.

AS MOMENTS LATER

**IN THE SHOWER**

A naked Lucas presses a naked Peyton against the tiles...

...both panting hard.

PEYTON: God.

Lucas plunging his tongue into her mouth..

...a deep groan from the both of them.

the water cascading down their ravenous bodies...

Lucas taking his lips to her throat.

LUCAS: I love you so much, Peyton.

...his lips now working their way along her collar bone.

LUCAS: So damn much.

Peyton tracing her fingers through his wet hair.

PEYTON: Love you more.

Lucas placing sweet kisses to her breasts, caressing there as he allows his thumbs to graze her taut nipples.

...over them once...

...over them twice...

Peyton moaning...too much toying for her senses to take...

...as Lucas goes over them with all ecstasy...

...his mouth swift to the softeness...

...one mound...

...the second mound...

Peyton breathing hard...

...Lucas placing a hand to her chest as to feel her heartbeat as his head moves further down...

...down the beauty of her midsection...down the beauty of her bellybutton...

...down the awesome part, where her waist meets her hips...

and finally to...

Peyton gasping...

Lucas touching a hand at the apex of her thighs...his fingers warm against her womanhood, feeling her readiness...

LUCAS: You love it when I touch you here.

...his fingers urging..

Peyton lifting up a leg, Lucas grabbing it to brace against his hip...

He looks into her eyes as to ask...their groins pressing together eagerly by Peyton's own admission.

It's a yes.

Lucas plunging inside her..thrusting with every inch of his love...

Peyton's fingernails clinging to his back as he plunges deeper.

...and deeper.

LUCAS: You feel that?

Another thrust.

LUCAS: Our heat?

PEYTON: Yes.

...a guttural tone escaping Lucas' lips as he pushes eagerly...more eagerly even...

She kisses him with a yearning cry.

PEYTON: You never have to ask.

She meets his lips...her tongue wrapping with his.

PEYTON: Our love...God...yes, I feel it.

Peyton squeezing him tightly as her hands grasp onto his buttocks...

and Lucas thrusts away

PEYTON: Always. 


	4. PART 3

**AS LATER**

IN THE ROOM

Peyton, flops onto the bed, in her robe, happily grabbing the phone as she dials a number

and

AT ANOTHER HOUSE

BROOKE DAVIS answers.

INTRECUT PHONE CONVERSATIONS

BROOKE: Hello?

PEYTON: Brooke, it's me...you two coming over tonight?

BROOKE: P. Sawyer..I promised you I would, just like every other Friday night, okay? We'll be there.

She chuckles.

PEYTON: Okay.

Then hanging up...

PULL BACK

to reveal a nude Brooke in tub with a bare-chested FELIX as she sits behind him, bathing his arms, bubbles crowding up to their shoulders.

FELIX: That Peyton again?

BROOKE: Yeah.

FELIX: Damn, when is she going to stop calling?

He gets up, wrapping the towel around him as he heads for the door and leaves.

BROOKE: When we show up, I guess.

Brooke dials a number.

**AS AT SOME OTHER HOUSE**

IN THE ROOM

where elaborate basketball trophies and pictures of rockstars adorn the room are on display. Yes, the room is quite expensive-looking. A picture of the NBA team Chicago Bulls its main focus.

HALEY answers the phone.

We see her in bed, beside the handsome NATHAN SCOTT.

HALEY: Who is it?

BROOKE: Brooke.

HALEY: Well, make it quick...I need my beauty rest.

BROOKE: Beauty rest? Haley, it's Eleven O' clock in the morning.

HALEY: And your point?

Brooke laughs.

BROOKE: Just want to know if you're coming today?

HALEY: Yeah.

BROOKE: Well, then that's it, bunny.

Brooke hanging up.

Nathan pulling Haley down onto him.

NATHAN: Beauty rest, huh?

She smiles his way.

HALEY: That's what I tell everyone when I plan on cuddling with you most of the day.

NATHAN: Oh, we'll do more than cuddle.

They kiss, Haley giggling as he rolls on top of her.

**AS BACK AT BROOKE'S HOUSE**

IN THE BEDROOM

Brooke is pulling on the rest of her clothes as she touches a picture of a young-looking guy. Beside the picture, it reads: In Membrance Of Mouth McFadden...

Brooke's features turning into a frown.

Felix walking in and buttoning up his shirt, seeing the hurt in Brooke's eyes.

FELIX: It's today, isn't it?

There's silence...Felix continuing.

FELIX: I know I don't say it often enough, Brooke...but I really am sorry for what happened to Mouth.

And with that, Felix once again leaves.

Brooke sighing as she transports a kiss from her fingers to the picture.

BROOKE: So am I.

**AS SOMWHERE A WAYS OFF**

OUTSIDE - IN THE STREET

Lucas takes down a thug, holding the criminal's face against the cement with the other officers as the man struggles.

LUCAS: Stay down, you ass!

Lucas snapping handcuffs on him.

One of the cops watching in admiration

FIRST COP: You still got it, Lieutenant.

LUCAS: Yeah, well, I owe it to you boys for letting me practice with you. I'm telling you Captain would have a fit if he knew I was out here, this close to the job like that.

Second Cop pulling the crimnal off the ground and reading him his rights.

FIRST COP: Sneaky, Lieutenant... It may be practice to you...real deal for us.

LUCAS: Damn straight.

**AS AT AN ART MUSEUM**

Many people looking at the masterful creations.

Peyton explaining.

PEYTON: And this one...was drawn by an up and coming artist by the name of Tyler Revenue.

A STUCK-UP-LOOKING WOMAN appearing taken aback by the name.

STUCK-UP WOMAN: Revenue?... Sounds like a cash register.

The other women laughing...

Stuck-Up Woman looking to Peyton.

STUCK-UP WOMAN: Tell me, Mrs. Scott...how is it you came about owning such a fine museum as this?

Peyton takes in a breath, then let's it out.

PEYTON: Well...it happened about five years ago. I was this uncertain artist, I guess you could say, who didn't have any intention at all of attending college...met this man who said he saw my potential...and as they say...the rest is history.

Stuck-up Woman upturns her nose.

STUCK-UP WOMAN: A most interesting story.

Peyton smiling uneasily.

**AS BACK AT LUCAS' HOUSE - 2:50 P.M.**

IN THE FRONT YARD OF THEIR RICH SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD

Peyton, Brooke and Haley all sit around a table, conversing.

PEYTON: You should have heard the woman. Ugh, I just wanted to smack the hell outta her.

BROOKE: Wouldn't have had to ask me twice. As many snobby women I've met here in Chicago, tell me again why is it you convinced me to stay here?

Haley raises her hand.

HALEY: Hey, she convinced me too.

PEYTON: Oh, c'omn, guys, isn't it great for all of us to be able to meet up like this every Friday, and just girl-talk?

BROOKE: Might've been...if we didn't have to listen to gunshots ranging out from the backyard every twenty seconds.

They all laugh.

AS IN THE BACKYARD

Nathan, Lucas and Felix practice shooting beer bottles set up some thirty feet away.

Lucas teaching Nathan, Felix off to the side going to sit on the steps.

NATHAN: You know, it's amazing your neighbors haven't had you locked up already for disturbing the peace.

LUCAS: Ah, I only do this once every month...Besides...they respect me.

NATHAN: Once every month at the house, you mean... Every other day, you're dragging me off to the shooting range. And not enough respect in the world would make me give up my noise-free Fridays.

LUCAS: Just focus on the target, will you?

NATHAN: Whatever you say, man.

Nathan aiming the gun, and just as quick...Pow! Pow! Pow!

Popping every single bottle perfectly.

LUCAS: Damn! You're getting good at this.

NATHAN: Getting? Try am.

Felix tired of it all.

FELIX: Will you two geeks hurry it up already? I've got things to do.

Both Lucas and Nathan frustrated with the sidekick.

LUCAS AND NATHAN: Shut up, Felix.

**AS BACK WITH PEYTON**

The girls complain about stuff.

PEYTON: I don't know what it is...but we're not getting anything done... Every minute we're off in the bedroom somewhere... It's like he never runs out of energy.

Brooke smirking.

BROOKE: And this is a problem because?

The girls laughing.

PEYTON: You guys, I'm serious.

HALEY: No, Brooke is right. You have it easy, Peyton. It's like that with me and Nathan. You would think he's reached his sexual peek or something.. the boy can go.

Peyton giggling.

PEYTON: So what's up with Nathan and his pro career?

HALEY: That's the one good thing that's come out of staying... It's like the Bulls can't get enough of him. And I still can't believe how famous he is... I mean, with me...it's just an occasional "Oh, please sign my autograph, Mrs. Scott."

PEYTON: Me too...but more to do with the cop-hero thing.

Haley laughs.

HALEY: And then there's the girls...whoo...good thing we live in a fortress – or else they'd be knocking down our freakin' door... But who cares anyway?...Me and Nathan find more interesting things to take our minds off of all the attention...If you know what I mean.

Peyton nodding her understanding mischievously.

PEYTON: Satin sheets.

Haley and Peyton slapping hands as they laugh.

Brooke looking down.

BROOKE: Can't say the same for me and Felix.

PEYTON: What, why? What's going on there?

BROOKE: There just isn't any passion ... And I don't know if it has anything to do  
with us.

She pauses.

BROOKE: Or the fact that –

It's hard for Brooke to go on, Peyton and Haley soon realizing.

PEYTON: Oh, my God, Brooke...it's today, I'm so sorry.

Brooke pouts.

BROOKE: You mean the anniversary of Mouth's death? When some years ago this very day a loser of a scumbag felt the need to pop a bullet into his gut just for the hell of it?

She's quiet, then angrily finishes.

BROOKE: Today is it.

Peyton and Haley grabbing Brooke by the hand, comforting her.

HALEY: We're here for you, Brooke.

BROOKE: I have to speak at one of the honorary conventions being held for him tonight...in memory of his help with other kids dreaming of becoming announcers and all that good stuff.

Brooke breaking down.

BROOKE: But...I just don't know if I can.

Peyton and Haley coming on either side of her...taking her into their arms.

PEYTON AND HALEY: It's going to be okay.

**AS BACK WITH LUCAS**

He speaks with Nathan.

LUCAS: So how's this NBA thing working out?

The both of them aiming guns on and off.

NATHAN: Good, I guess... and now that basketball season is out, I should be practicing with the team, but, hey...I'm here with you instead, right? Speaking of... eh, Luke, man, you play college ball now...so you looking to get drafted or what?

LUCAS: At twenty eight? I don't think so.

NATHAN: It's possible. I've seen it happen.

LUCAS: I've got enough with this Lieutenant schick and went to college only because of Peyton. College ball on top of that – and you're speaking of NBA?

NATHAN: Just trying to help, man. I'm your brother. That's what brothers do. And you've got talent... You should use it, you wimp. And what's with these college classes of yours anyway?... You go tonight?

LUCAS: Yeah...Captain has this schedule worked out for me, where I work from six in the morning till three, and finally at five I'm off and running.

NATHAN: It's three now.

LUCAS: Yeah...I know. Not to mention I was late for work again today. I mean, it's only been twice..but still.

He pauses.

LUCAS: What do you say, we wrap this up?

Felix cursing.

FELIX: About damn time.

Felix grabbing his shirt as they all walk around

**TO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE**

where Brooke, Peyton and Haley are.

LUCAS: You girls wanna take it inside?

Haley and Peyton rising with Brooke as they all join the guys

**INSIDE OF THE HOUSE - THE LIVINGROOM**

Dusty running out from Merna into Lucas' arms to be picked up.

DUSTY: Wanna know what I did at school today, dad?

LUCAS: Sure, kid.

Everyone conversing...standing as they talk amongst themselves...

FELIX: Dark as hell in here. Open a shade or two, hell.

...Lucas moving to the window with Dusty to look out.

Merna noticing.

MERNA: Nice day out. Quiet too.

Lucas looking weird...

... and finally saying something...

LUCAS: Yeah.

He moves from the swaying shades of the window...but then he sees it...

...a red dot quite evident on Haley's shirt..

Lucas screaming.

LUCAS: Everybody down!

THE WINDOW SHATTERING

Everyone going to the floor as the glass is sprayed with bullets...

...the gunshots LOUD and earth-knocking...

NATHAN: What the hell!

HALEY: Nathan!

Nathan covering Haley's body with his...

Lucas wrapping his arms around Peyton and Dusty.

Felix shielding Brooke as they lie near the sofa...

...and Merna screaming in horror.

AS OUTSIDE

A car full of men with semi-automatics driving by Lucas' house, spraying it with bullets as they shoot up the home...

...finally pulling their guns back in, and the car speeding down the street

AS INSIDE

Lucas getting up –

Peyton pleading with him to stay down --

But Lucas jetting

OUTSIDE

with his gun, shooting after them.

...though it's too late.

They're gone.

LUCAS: Son of a –

He moves back

INSIDE OF THE HOUSE

Everyone coming to their feet, asking the other if they're okay.

Brooke dusting off.

BROOKE: Okay, that is why I need to get the hell out of Chicago.

Dusty running to Lucas and clinging to his leg.

DUSTY: I don't wanna die, daddy.

Then the phone ringing...

Everyone getting quiet as Lucas inches toward it.

It rings again...

Lucas finally answering.

LUCAS: Hello?

There is heavy breathing on the other side of the phone...then a response..

But the response is chilling...a sort of electronic tone to it.

SCARY VOICE: You know...I would ask you do you like scary movies...just like they did in that movie Scream. But naaaah!

Laughter heard in the background.

LUCAS: Who the hell is this? 


	5. PART 4

Lucas listens to the chilling voice on the other line of his phone.

SCARY VOICE: I here you're the big dog on campus, Scott... I think it's time this dog got sent back to the pound.

LUCAS: I said who the hell is this!

Peyton and the rest of the gang watching Lucas converse over the phone.

SCARY VOICE: You get one warning...your kid...get your kid out of here...or I'll gut him too.

LUCAS: Now you listen to me, you mother f–

Dial tone...as the phone on the other side of the line has been hung up, Lucas slowly removing the phone from his ear, turns to look back at his friends...

...all is silent.

AS THIRTY MINUTES LATER

**AT THE CHICAGO CITY POLICE STATION - IN THE CAPTAIN'S OFFICE**

Lucas folds his arms over his chest. CAPTAIN WILEY LONG sitting there before him.

LUCAS: I'm telling you – the guy knew my number and everything. Even the fact that I have a kid. How's that possible?

CAPTAIN: And where's your family now?

LUCAS: In the other room. The office across from here. Why?

CAPTAIN: Just making sure of your safety, Scott. What happened to those body guards I ordered to your house after Ricky's death?

LUCAS: You know how I feel about body guards, sir. I'm more than capable of taking care of my family all by myself. After they're two years were up, I sent them away. Wasn't going to keep calling them back every year. And why this talk of Ricky anyway?

A Big Officer who has been in the corner, speaks up.

BIG OFFICER: Sir...his gangs may still be after you. It's very important that we determine that.

LUCAS: But you said most of those members were locked up and done with, some even dead. And the few who did survive were too wary to even try and get mixed up with me again.

CAPTAIN: Look, Scott. 


	6. PART 5

Captain hands Lucas some papers.

CAPTAIN: Take a scan over these sheets. Those would most likely be most of the men who would resent you enough to have ordered a hit out on you.

Lucas does so. Captain pressing for answers.

CAPTAIN: Before we look further into this though, Scott, you sure you don't have any idea who would specifically have anything against you?

LUCAS: No.

A cop coming in and pointing toward Lucas.

COP: Warden wants to see you. He's outside.

Luas furrowing his brows. Captain looking perplexed.

CAPTAIN: What in the heck would cause him to drop by here?

**AS OUTSIDE OF THE CAPTAIN'S OFFICE**

Warden smiles Captain's way.

WARDEN: You... I told you I wanted to meet the famous Lucas Scott.

Captain playfully knocking his own self against the head.

CAPTAIN: Of course...where are my manners?

Captain pulling Lucas to the forefront.

CAPTAIN: Warden, this is him. Him, this is the man who oversees all the great things this city has to offer...well, mainly just things in Petulum Prison.

Warden shaking hands with Lucas.

LUCAS: Listen – Warden...I have some personal stuff going on right now and –

Warden interrupting.

WARDEN: Uh, Captain, would you mind leaving me and Lucas alone for a minute, please?

CAPTAIN: Does this have to do with anything serious? 


	7. PART 6

The warden answers the captain's inquiry.

WARDEN: No. Nothing like that.

CAPTAIN: Well, when it does become something like that, give me a call, alright?

WARDEN: Will do.

Captain looking to Lucas.

CAPTAIN: I'm on that case, Scott.

The captain leaving, and Lucas and the warden walking to another office, Lucas seeing Peyton, Nathan, Haley, and Brooke in the other room across from them.

Lucas and the warden entering

THE OPPOSITE OFFICE

They immediately hug, laughing as they move away from the blind-covered windows.

WARDEN: What do you think? We have them fooled?

LUCAS: What? About the fact that we already know each other?

WARDEN: That – and the fact that we're already good friends.

Lucas laughs, but it soon fades, Lucas becoming serious as he goes to pour himself some coffee from the coffe machine set up to his left.

WARDEN: Wow! You really have it pimped out in here.

LUCAS: Okay...I don't know whether to ask how you found the time to even visit, or to cover my ears just in case you use the words "pimped out" again.

WARDEN: (chuckling) A friend in high places, my boy. A friend in high places.

LUCAS: You mean like I have with you?

WARDEN: I was going to ask you about that...I want you to know, Lucas... if there's a favor you need...anything... I'll try to make it happen... Just like last time.

Lucas hands the warden a cup of coffee, the warden with serious eyes...

Lucas' eyes just as serious, and a little scandalous...as he stares back at the man. Sip! 


	8. PART 7

**AS ON THE ROAD- INSIDE OF A RED CAR**

Dillon rides with his crew.

Abruptly they come to a stop, Dillon and the thugs getting out.

GOON: How'd you get away from your patrol officer like that, man? I mean, your ankle monitor and everything would have tracked you by now.

Dillon just stares at his friend and smiles.

**AS AT SOME APARTMENT COMPLEX**

OUTSIDE

An officer stands at an apartment door, hand resting against the gun in his holster.

He whispers toward the closed entrance.

OFFICER: What's all that noise in there, Dillon? Eh, keep it quiet this day and time, will you?

AS INSIDE

A grungy-looking man sits on the bed, the television set blasting before him, and a bottle of lard and grease to his side as he rubs at the ankle bracelet blinking around his leg.

He picks up the remote control, turning down the television, and cursing under his breath for obviously having to pretend he's someone else.

GRUNGY-LOOKING MAN: Hurry it up, Dillon, goddamn you. Hurry up and do whatever the hell it is you're doing.

**AS BACK TO DILLON - OUTSIDE SOMEWHERE**

He looks at his crew.

FIRST CREW MEMBER: This is it.

GOON: Definitely... this is where it all went down.

Dillon steps in front of it...this thing that everyone now refers to as it... Valentine Mansion...some thirty feet away from him.

He angrily plucks one of the weeds sprouting up from the ground and frowns.

DILLON: This is where it all began?

He shreads the weed frustratedly.

DILLON: Then this is where it'll all end.

Dillon snapping his fingers and --

--amazingly we see groups of determined-looking men coming out of three low-rider cars jumping out and moving toward Dillon, one last group coming out of a truck with tools in their hands.

Dillon stepping forward, snatching away just one of the old and ragged yellow tapes surrounding the mansion that read: CRIME SCENE: DO NOT CROSS

DILLON: We got work to do.

All the men immediately charging toward the mansion, and Dillon crossing his arms as he smiles alongside Goon.

**AS WITH THIS MONTAGE – THE CREW WORKS ON AND INSIDE OF THE MANSION**

-- The hallway - Dillon's men tearing paper off of the walls...banging holes in the side.

– In the kitchen - messing with cameras...checking to see if they work... reinstalling a few.

– In the rooms - laying down wire, cutting out squares in the wood to where it's evident they're setting up mechanical devices.

– On the roof - men hammering away

AS BACK TO SCENE

Dillon grinning wide, spins around playfully outside.

...and Goon laughs.

...but

**AT THE AIRPORT**

Lucas is on his cell phone, angrily finishing up his conversation.

LUCAS: (on the cell) Yeah, well, tell him to stick it where the sun don't shine then! The money will get there when it gets there, understood!

Lucas hanging up, then turning to Peyton.

PEYTON: Who was it?

LUCAS: Damn insurance company...and before that...people about the light bill.

Dusty yanks on his father's pants leg, Merna holding his other little hand.

DUSTY: Is everything okay, daddy? Are we gonna die?

Lucas bending down in front of the little guy.

LUCAS: No, everything's fine, okay? You're not going to die. Don't ever say that again, you hear me?

Lucas giving him a bear hug...

Peyton tearing up... she's next to hug Dusty.

PEYTON: You heard your daddy. No bad thoughts, alright? Merna's going to keep you safe.

Peyton pulling out a little stuffed-toy piggy and handing it to Dusty.

PEYTON: And so will he.

Dusty's face lighting up instantly.

DUSTY: Mr. Oinkers!

Lucas and Peyton admiring their son.

PEYTON: Yeah, Mr. Oinkers.

LUCAS: And what do you do when you get really sad that me or your mommy aren't there to tuck you in?

DUSTY: I just think of you...and hug Mr. Oinkers really tight..and you both will hear what I'm thinking. Is that right, daddy?

Peyton's crying unbearable now.

PEYTON: Yes, that's right.

Dusty sees her pain.

DUSTY: Don't cry, mommy. I don't want you to ever cry. You're too pretty to cry. Don't you think she's too pretty to cry, daddy?

Lucas wiping away a tear from Peyton's cheek as he gazes into her loving eyes.

LUCAS: Yes, she's very pretty.

Lucas moving to Merna, and pulling out cash, passports and tickets.

LUCAS: Go now, Merna... there will be a man waiting for you when you get off the plane...he'll take you to a house where no one, and I do mean no one...will find you.

Lucas rubs Dusty on the head.

LUCAS: Keep our boy safe. And you stay safe too.

MERNA: I will, Mr. Scott.

Merna walking off as Lucas and Peyton throw their arms around each other, watching Dusty and Merna depart.

Lucas placing a kiss to his wife's forehead as she leans against his shoulder.

**AS BACK AT THE POLICE STATION - OUTSIDE - NIGHTTIME: 8:10 P.M.**

Brooke is trying to get into a limousine, Nathan, Haley, and Felix trying to stop her.

FELIX: Brooke, no.

BROOKE: Let me go, Felix. I have to be there.

Lucas and Peyton pulling up in their car behind the limo, jumping out to see what's going on.

They move to their friends.

PEYTON: Brooke, what is this?

BROOKE: They're expecting me at Mouth's honorary service. I'm already this close to being late, and Nathan, Haley and Super hubby here won't let me leave.

Felix rolling his eyes.

FELIX: Oh, that's real mature, Brooke – name calling.

BROOKE: I don't care what it is – Nathan, Haley, you know what it's like to have kids... I'm talking a stadium full of young people who are expecting me.

NATHAN: Hey, don't bring our kids into this.

HALEY: Yeah, our little ones are off with the nanny for the weekend. Safe and sound. And this is totally different. It's beside the point.

BROOKE: Nanny's this and Nanny's that – doesn't anyone stay home and watch their own freakin' kids anymore?

Lucas coming in between them.

LUCAS: Whoa, how'd you get pass the bodyguard?

FELIX: She snuck out.

Brooke smirking.

BROOKE: Remember last time we were here and we all snunk pass the officers and everything?

Haley continuing to explain Brooke's escape.

HALEY: Didn't know why she was on the phone before, but apparently was secret-coding her limo driver to meet her out here...bring a pair of fresh clothes even.

Lucas frowning..

LUCAS: Brooke, do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here? The drive-by shooting. We can't let you leave.

Brooke pulling out a bottle of mase.

BROOKE: Try and stop me.

She points it.

The gang all looking to her as if she's lost her damn mind.

BROOKE: Now you can all call the cops on me out from that station over there...even speed behind me in some whacked-out car chase...but either way...I'm getting into that limo.

Peyton trying to step toward Brooke.

PEYTON: Brooke –

BROOKE: I mean it, Peyton...I'm leaving. And considering Mouth meant just as much to you guys as he did to me...It's amazing that you all aren't hopping in on the opportunity to join me here.

She darts her eyes at Lucas.

BROOKE: Especially you.

Brooke gets into the limousine, looking back at her pals.

BROOKE: You guys can either stay out there and watch me drive off, or have a seat.

Peyton sighing, then joining Brooke in the limo...

Lucas cocking his gun, then getting in as well, and finally it is Nathan, Haley, and Felix's turn to  
join the crew.

The limousine immediately taking off.

**AS INSIDE**

They all argue!

HALEY: Can't believe this. Nathan, you should have tied her ass up!

NATHAN: Hey, don't blame me. Felix lives with the girl. He should have known she'd do something like this.

FELIX: Oh, right...as if it's easy living with a harpy.

PEYTON: No, no, no...don't talk about my friend like that.

LUCAS: Well, it's your friend who got us in this situation.

BROOKE: And I say this situation isn't moving fast enough. They're probably already presenting his honors as we speak... or as we argue, what the hell ever it is we're doing.

**AS INSIDE OF A COLLEGE BASKETBALL STADUIM**

It is beautifully adorned with material that showcases itself to be a formal occasion.

Many students applauding as a FIT LADY comes onto the stage at the podium.

FIT LADY: Now...for the reason we're all here – After the death of her quoted Great Love..she set up an elaborate operation that would better give young potentials, such as yourselves a chance to fulfill their dreams...to truly bring out those announcing skills you all possess...and all by the vision of the much loved and appreciated Marvin Mouth McFadden.

The students clapping.

FIT LADY: I'd like to present to you...Brooke Davis.

The audience again clapping, all looking for Brooke to address the stage...

But no one shows up...Fit Lady becoming worried.

**AS BACK IN THE LIMO**

Brooke is yelling at her friends.

BROOKE: Oh, please...you practically ignored Mouth's passing this whole day, Lucas.

LUCAS: Well, excuse me if other things just so happened to come up, Brooke. Life-threatening things.

PEYTON: But you were distant, Lucas. Brooke does have a point. You could have at least given your respect.

Felix cursing.

FELIX: Oh, what do you know?

Haley sighing.

HALEY: I know I want out of this freakin' car.

Nathan becoming frustrated with it all.

NATHAN: It's called a limo, Haley.

**AS BACK INSIDE OF THE COLLEGE STADIUM**

Fit Lady calls out again.

FIT LADY: Davis? Is there a Brooke Davis here?

The young adults looking from each other to the fit lady on stage and then shrugging.

**AS BACK ON THE ROAD**

The limo goes down a dirt path.

Time passing by...

The limo going and going...

More time passing by as

INSIDE OF THE LIMO

The bickering hasn't stopped.

HALEY: See, you never listen.

BROOKE: It's not that serious, Haley. We're talking about remembering Mouth here. You know, Marvin McFadden. Not about driving off a cliff.

FELIX: Sure feels like it.

Peyton becoming angry with Felix and pinching him...

Felix then pinching Brooke...Brooke then pinching Haley, Haley then pinching Nathan, Nathan then pinching Peyton, and Peyton finally pinching Lucas.

LUCAS: Ow!

PEYTON: Ow!

BROOKE: Ow!

FELIX: Hell!

HALEY: Ow!

NATHAN: Damn!

Brooke waving her hands for all of them to stop.

BROOKE: Something's weird here.

PEYTON: What do you mean?

BROOKE: The limo driver was suppose to take a turn left five minutes ago.

Haley checking her watch.

HALEY: Oh, my God, we've been in here for an hour and some minutes.

LUCAS: That's not possible.

The limo suddenly stopping and the sound of FOOTSTEPS running from the car.

BROOKE: No freakin' way!

FELIX: What, what is it?

BROOKE: This same exact thing happened on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

NATHAN: Buffy what?

BROOKE: You know. The girl who battles monsters, demons, and all that good stuff. It comes on digital, honey. I'm tellin' you...this is what happened. Buffy and Cordelia Chase, I think her name was...that girl had style...were distracted after having gotten into this limo... The limo stopped...the driver ran off and...

Brooke gasps.

BROOKE: Oh, no...

Lucas cocking his gun as he gets out, everyone else getting out with him.

Everyone's faces quickly dropping in pure shock.

NATHAN: Hell, no.

There they are...all standing before Valentine Mansion.

Nothing but woods and weeds sprouting up from behind it.

BROOKE: Can't be.

LUCAS: Guys, we gotta get out of here.

But...

Without warning...

Growling is HEARD behind them...

The gang all turning around to see two pit bull dogs slobbering...it drooping from their mouths, barking their way.

FELIX: Oh sh –

Lucas grabbing Peyton's hand as everyone takes off in jet speed.

LUCAS: Head for the mansion. Now!

The gang running as fast as they can...

Brooke tripping, the first pit bull almost within paw-reach of her jumping to aim for her neck...

BIMP!

Felix having thrown a rock at the dog, the dog rolling over, wimpering for a second or two before getting back up, and Felix pulling Brooke along.

Nathan and Haley on track with Lucas and Peyton ...

But the second pit bull cornering in front of them, growling even more ferociously than the other...Lucas shooting the dog's way, causing it to scatter for just a moment, then to follow on after them as the four hurry ahead...

Lucas and Peyton reaching the mansion doors first... the doors opening without struggle as Lucas and Peyton push at them, Lucas and Peyton breathing heavily as they both fall in through, then grasping onto the doors to watch Nathan and Haley come fleeing in...

LUCAS: Come on!

PEYTON: Brooke!

First dog back in front of Brooke and Felix...Lucas shooting it...the dog going down ...and...

Brooke and Felix making it through...Lucas and Peyton trying to close the door, but second dog seemingly having waited for this chance to strike again, manages to get halfway through the opening...clawing at the gang...the girls screaming as they then turn to help the guys push at the door..the dog not letting up.

POW!

Lucas nailing the dog with a bullet to the face; its body falling back away from the doors...

The gang, exhausted as all hell, falling over to the floor, breathingly rapidly...

Suddenly there is CLAPPING heard coming from somewhere off nearby...

Lucas, Haley, Nathan, Felix, Brooke and Peyton... all slowly lifting up to see a crew of men, semi-automatic guns in their hands, standing at the top of the staircase.

One dark-haired man, in particular, in the center of them all as they descend the stairway and he talks into an electronic voice-changer. It's Dillon.

DILLON: (talking through the voice processor) You should all give yourselves a pat on the back. That took great conning.

Lucas looking at Dillon weirdly.

DILLON: What's the matter, Scotty boy? Recognize the voice?

He tosses the electronic altering-contraption to the floor. It was him. Him who was the one on the phone with Lucas earlier.

Lucas' gang seeming worried.

Dillon moving in front of them all, his crew all pointing their guns at Lucas and his friends.

DILLON: Let the games begin.

**AS WE SEE THE MANSION DOORS SHUTTING BEHIND LUCAS AND HIS PALS**

SLAM!

**END OF ACT 1**


	9. ACT 2, PART 8

**ACT 2**

Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Felix, Nathan and Haley all rise, their bodies forming a horizontal line that stretches some distance across the floor.

Dillon walking in front of them all as his crew aims weapons their way.

The gang watching Dillon with uncertainty, waiting for an explanation from Lucas.

Lucas gives it.

LUCAS: He's the guy who threatened us over the phone.

Dillon smiles in alarm.

DILLON: You can do better than that, Scott.

He grins in their direction.

Then focuses his attention back on Lucas.

DILLON: I'm the guy whose brother you murdered...

Dillon grinding his teeth together.

DILLON: Ricky's brother.

The gang making disbelieving faces.

PEYTON: Brother?

NATHAN: Ricky had a brother?

Dillon snaps.

DILLON: Has.

PEYTON: You're lying. We would have had word... Some type of --

DILLON: Warning?

He smirks.

DILLON: Funny. I thought the same thing.

Dillon bats his pretty eyes at Peyton.

DILLON: But think about it. Why would I go through all this trouble – arrange all of this – if I wasn't indeed the bastard's kin?

NATHAN: Jesus.

DILLON: Nope, nope, I don't think Jesus will have anything to do with tonight.

Lucas furrowing his brows together as he sneers at Dillon.

LUCAS: So what? You're here to make us pay?

Dillon shrugging.

DILLON: What else?

He snaps his fingers.

Some of his crew going to Lucas and the others, searching them for weapons and such, finding Lucas' gun and taking it into their possession.

Dillon then moving down the line of victims, his armed team keeping their guns steady as he stops in front of Peyton...

...reaching for her golden locks...

Lucas stepping toward the bastard.

LUCAS: Touch her – and you'll lose a limb.

That little threat not bothering Dillon in the least.

Humored, he traces his steps back until he reaches Haley.

Nathan making his own hatred known this time.

NATHAN: Same here, man.

Dillon, still tickled by all the manly protectiveness, struts in front of Brooke.

But Felix doesn't even budge to protect her.

Brooke letting her mouth drop open in disgust as she points her eyes his way, and Dillon touches her silky hair freely.

DILLON: Such beautiful women.

Brooke slapping his hand away, but stopping when one of his guards clicks their pistol as to warn her not to try that again.

DILLON: Hard to believe you men came about them.

Dillon watching Felix.

DILLON: Not interested in your wife, eh?

BROOKE: Wife? Me and Felix? You've gotta be kidding me. Nuh-uh... See, the two of us – not married. I may use the hubby joke every blue moon, but no -- He's just the guy I live with.

Felix smacking his lips together in annoyance.

Their enemy grinning.

DILLON: Living in sin. I like it.

Dillon pulling out a small tape recorder.

With it, he moves to Lucas, holding it up in front of him.

DILLON: Say "Sorry for the mixup, Captain. Everyone's okay."

LUCAS: What?

DILLON: You heard me. Say it.

LUCAS: Forget it.

A big man shuffles over to Peyton pointing a shotgun to her forehead.

Lucas understanding.

He then does what he must.

LUCAS: Sorry for the mixup, Captain. Everyone's okay.

**AS AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT**

Captain talks with Big Officer.

CAPTAIN: You sure he didn't leave a note or anything? It's not like him to just run off. Well, in the past maybe. But today's Lucas -- that boy's changed.

BIG OFFICER: I'm certain, sir.

Captain starting to dial a number on his cell.

Big Officer wondering something.

BIG OFICER: Sir..you know what today is.

CAPTAIN: The anniversary of Ricky's death? Yeah -- I know. Which is exactly why today, just like all the other past four anniversaries, may be the most dangerous day of Lucas Scott's life.

Captain speaking into his cell phone.

CAPTAIN: Yeah, I need a precautionary take-down set up immediately...

The office phone rings...

Captain telling the man on his cell to hold on...

...he and Big Officer looking toward the phone as after the first ring it goes straight to the answering machine.

AS ON THE ANSWERING MACHINE

we hear...

"Hey, it's me – Lucas. Sorry for the mixup, Captain. Everyone's okay. It's just, uh, the gang needed a breather. I took them to one of those safe houses I was telling you about, but you never get to see. Get back to you later. Bye."

THE MESSAGE ENDS

Captain rushing to the phone, picking it up.

CAPTAIN: Scott?

There's no one on the other end, captain hanging up the phone.

He looks to Big Officer and sighs.

**AS BACK AT THE MANSION**

Dillon comes out from a different pair of doors, smiling wide as he tosses the tape recorder to one of his thugs.

Lucas watching his friends...he questions Dillon.

LUCAS: Why not have me speak live from the phone?

DILLON: What, and have one of these little ladies scream "Come save me!" in the background? I don't think so.

He shuffles at the gang.

DILLON: Besides...cops can trace you from cell phones. Got a special type set up in the other room. No tracing allowed... But more importantly --

He rubs his palms together impatiently.

DILLON: What you told your chief had better been the truth.

LUCAS: It was.

DILLON: No secret messages.

LUCAS: It wasn't. Wouldn't play with my wife's life like that.

DILLON: Good to know.

Dillon signaling his crew.

DILLON: Take them to the room.

Lucas and his friends being forced down the hallway by Dillon's boys.

**AS AT SOME ROOM**

They are all pushed

INSIDE

Lucas, and the others staring back at Dillon.

DILLON: I take it you're familiar with the game Resident Evil?

They don't answer him.

DILLON: Well, expect a little of that and a combination of maybe even hangman.

Dillon's guys laughing.

Lucas' gang frowning.

DILLON: Truth is...this game is like Hide and Seek.

He pauses...

DILLON: Except...we find you...you die.

Haley clinging onto Nathan as he wraps his arm around her.

DILLON: This place is intricately set up...think of that how you will... But these door will close. And in five minutes, they'll open back up again. And once they do – you had better be on your game...because the war will be on.

Dillon's crew starting to exit the room, Dillon moving to the door's entrance way as well.

DILLON: You'll find food, utensils..and if you're smart enough, things that may even better help you fend yourselves. We find you...we kill you...you find us...you get to try and kill us.

Dillon jets his scornful eyes around the room.

DILLON: That is all.

He trys to exit, but questions soon follow.

FELIX: Why not just kill us here and get it over with?

Brooke nudging Felix to shut up.

DILLON: The typical is to say death is too easy for you...that the worst thing you can do to a man is make him suffer.

Lucas seeming to remember those words Dillon has just spoken.

LUCAS: Just like Ricky.

DILLON: But the truth is...I like games.

LUCAS: Just let the others go, okay? It's me you want.

DILLON: Ah, the old take-me-and-spare-the-rest-of-them line. You're right...it's you I want.

He scowls.

DILLON: And it's you I'll get.

As with that, Dillon leaves, locking Lucas and his friends inside.  
Peyton touches Lucas on the arm worriedly, Lucas taking her into his arms.

The gang all moving against the wall.

BROOKE: I'm so sorry for this.

PEYTON: Brooke, this isn't your fault.

Felix just about having a damn near coronary --

FELIX: Yes, the hell it is!

NATHAN: Felix –

FELIX: What? I'm just telling the truth. If she hadn't gotten into that limo, then we would never have been forced in here, am I right?

LUCAS: They would have been after us either way -- The bullets spraying our windows, remember? It was just a matter of time.

**AS INSIDE OF THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon walks past many of his crew members operating at the set-up computers, the monitors displaying Lucas and his gang on the screen in their room talking.

Goon loosens the bandanna around his head.

GOON: You sure you don't wanna start the post-ops first, Dill?

Dillon pulls out a pair of keys from a drawer.

DILLON: Patience. That's something that makes times like these great.

**AS BACK AT THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT**

Captain sits at his desk, scratching his chin.

Big Officer is in tune with his fears.

BIG OFFICER: We could call for backup right now, sir, if you want.

CAPTAIN: No, no.

He gets up from his desk.

CAPTAIN: Back up for what? I trust, Scott. I've learned plenty from going against his instincts over the years. Mainly that I'm wrong.

Captain now rubbing his receeding hairline.

CAPTAIN: Listen, Lenny...when Scott says everything's under control – then you better believe everything's under control.

Captain grabbing his cap and exiting alongside Big Officer Lenny.

CAPTAIN: Let's call it a night. Maybe stop for a burger.

**AS BACK AT THE MANSION – INSIDE OF LUCAS' ROOM**

His friends eye him.

HALEY: What are we gonna do now?

LUCAS: Just give me a second.

Suddenly the doors automatically open, ALARMS going off.

Haley and the others coming to their feet.

NATHAN: Then you better make that a split second.

Lucas urging all of them to hurry out the doors as he pulls Peyton along.

LUCAS: Come on.

**AS IN THE HALLWAY**

They hear the rushing footsteps coming their way...the shadows on the wall.

LUCAS: Damn.

The gang running down the opposite direction...

...they come to the end of the corridor, Lucas spotting a camera in its corner.

LUCAS: Double damn.

He reaches around, seeing Brooke's extra layer of top, and snatching it off...Felix frowning at this..

...Lucas tossing it onto the camera as to block its view.

He then takes off a shoe and throws it around the corner...gesturing his gang toward a door a few steps back...

...all of them hurrying in.

**AS BACK INSIDE OF THE CONTROL ROOM**

Goon is typing at the computer -- he looks up at Dillon

GOON: They've blocked one of our cameras.

DILLON: Doesn't matter.

GOON: You should have let us set up more than there are.

DILLON: I said it doesn't matter.

**AS BACK INSIDE OF A MANSION ROOM**

Lucas and his friends try and steady their breaths against the door.. all of them listening as  
to what's going on outisde

IN THE HALLWAY

The crew marching down with their guns pointed upwards, looking for the elusive six.

FIRST CREW MEMBER: Keep it along.

They pass the gang's new door.

coming to the end of the corridor, where

AROUND THE CORNER

a crew member undoubtedly finds Lucas' shoe.

SECOND CREW MEMBER: We're onto them, boys. They in a hurry too.

FIRST CREW MEMBER: Whoo! Down this way.

The thugs hastily marching along until their footsteps fade and fade...and are heard no longer.

The alarms soon stopping.

**AS INSIDE OF THE NEW ROOM**

The six all move away from the door with a sigh.

HALEY: I feel like I'm in a bad nightmare.

PEYTON: I just don't get how we went all this time without knowing Ricky had a brother. You'd think the captain would have told us something like this.

BROOKE: And why is he attacking now? He had four years to bring his ass here before this and try and hang us.

Lucas going to the other end of the room.

PEYTON: What are you doing?

LUCAS: Looking for cameras.

Lucas ordering around everyone.

LUCAS: Nathan, you check behind those paintings over there. Brooke – behind that sink.

BROOKE: Well, at least we have running water.

LUCAS: Sure it doesn't work.

Brooke testing it out and seeing that.

BROOKE: Got that right.

LUCAS: Guys...look for something, tiny reflective and strange-seeming.

The gang searching all about.

FELIX: We can't stay in here forever. They'll be back.

LUCAS: I know

Lucas turning to Peyton.

LUCAS: Which is why we have to leave the girls here.

Haley almost falling over.

HALEY: What?

Lucas going to her.

LUCAS: Hales...I see that you're scared alright? But we have to do this.

Brooke just now getting the eeriness of the concept.

BROOKE: I second that "what". You can't abandon us.

LUCAS: We're not going to abandon you. Get real.

Peyton joining Lucas' side, listening to what he has to say.

LUCAS: We're never going to make it outta here without weapons and the right materials – things that just so happen to be located outside those doors. And if you all come with us, it'll just slow us down. And probably get us killed.

PEYTON: So what the alternative is just to leave us here defenseless? I mean, what are we gonna do if they come back before you guys do, Lucas?

LUCAS: Last time I was here...I had enough time to asssess this place. And as you can see, this is no ordinary mansion. I would have thought the authorities would have seized every single camera, computer this place had to offer. But Dillon's crew must've found away around that. It's hard enough with just one of us going. But six? That would be overkill. At least...with Nathan and Felix -- I'd have a few helpful hands.

The girls looking offended.

Lucas explaining.

LUCAS: Not that you girls aren't helpful or anything – It's just – Well, you get the point. In one of the wings...that's how big this place is...there's a map of the mansion, sort of like a blueprint. I saw it in a safe of a room that I picked near the L corridor right before I fought Ricky. I didn't think anything of it then. But now... Let's just hope it's still there.

Haley starting to freak out.

HALEY: Oh, my god, we're gonna die. I can't. I just can't. Our kids, Nathan. I can't die here.

NATHAN: Shhh.

He hugs her, then looks to Lucas.

NATHAN: There's no way I can leave Haley here, Luke.

Haley's frantic behavior causing the other girls to panic.

Brooke tearing up.

BROOKE: I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just didn't know. How can you know something like this?

Peyton embracing Lucas.

PEYTON: Promise me you'll be okay. Just promise me that.

Lucas, one arm around Peyton, looks over her shoulder at Nathan.

LUCAS: If you want to help Haley...then you have to, Nathan. Trust me.

Haley soon getting a grip on things, and taking Nathan's hand into her own.

HALEY: Lucas is right. We're wasting time. You need to go.

Lucas moving away from Peyton, going to a desk, where he proceeds to stand on top of, and push at a vent of the ceiling; it opens, no struggle visible.

He pulls some sort of weapon from it.

...walking back to Peyton, handing it to her.

PEYTON: What is it?

LUCAS: What does it look like?

Peyton clearly seeing that it's one of those things she's decided to call stinger guns.

LUCAS: The night I came for you...I planned at least thirty different fighting scraps in the vents of the rooms in this mansion. I was scared I would run out, or that the ones I did have would be taken away – leaving me with nothing to fight my way through. I needed backups.

Lucas kisses Peyton on the cheek.

LUCAS: And now you have them.

He moves toward the exit.

LUCAS: Anyone steps through that door – and you taser their ass.

Peyton nodding.

LUCAS: I want you girls to keep these lights dimmed. Better yet -- off. Be quiet and stay hidden.

Nathan huggng Haley once more.

NATHAN: We'll be back before you know it.

Then moving toward the door.

Felix smirking at Brooke.

FELIX: See ya, girlfriend.

BROOKE: Felix?

FELIX: Yeah?

BROOKE: Try not to be an idiot.

Felix laughing briefly.

FELIX: Yeah.

The boys opening the doors slowly, peeping out, and then leaving.

The girls looking back at each other for a moment...their on the same page...all rushing to push things up against the door.

**AS IN THE HALLWAY**

Felix, Nathan and Lucas tread along.

NATHAN: What now?

LUCAS: Out into the open, where we can lead those creeps away from the girls.

Lucas sneaking ahead, Nathan and Felix closely following.

**AS BACK IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Goon talks with Dillon.

GOON: You've inherited Ricky's entire gang. These men respect you. It's like you're carrying on some legacy or something.

He touches Dillon on the shoulder.

GOON: But it's not enough. You're a spitting image of Ricky. And because of that – you get lost in the shuffle. It's like you don't have your own identity. You need something that makes you stand out — something to change that.

Dillon rubs at his neck.

DILLON: People always said I looked like Ricky. But I always thought of it as him looking like me.

Goon laughs.

GOON: You always spin things.

DILLON: Yes...I do

**AS IN A BLOCKING SECTION OF THE MANSION**

Lucas unscrews a camera as Nathan and Felix stand underneath it, holding him up.

LUCAS: Think that's the last in this quadrant. Damn fingernail file of Peyton's finally came in handy for something.

NATHAN: Jeez... I knew you were good at this take-no-prisoners sort of thing, but I never knew how good. Until now.

Nathan and Felix letting Lucas down to the floor.

FELIX: You sure they didn't get us on camera, dude?

LUCAS: Nah, you guys stayed in the shadows, kept to the walls, like I asked. It gave me the ups  
to take care of the more pressing ones without spotting us... I think.

NATHAN: Tight.

LUCAS: It's distraction time.

FELIX: Why is this part so empty?

NATHAN: Yeah, I noticed that too. I mean, there were lots of those guys. There are still lots of those guys. Why would they leave this area empty?

LUCAS: You guys have a lot to learn.

FELIX: Won't showing them that we're out here in the first place let them know that the girls are alone, and then cause them to go after them?

LUCAS: That's why we're not going to let them know that all three of us are out here. Or at least try not to.

FELIX: (shouting) Hey, you loser poser asswipes! Come get us.

Nathan grabbing onto Felix.

NATHAN: What do you think you're doing?

FELIX: Causing a distraction.

Lucas jabs at his chest.

LUCAS: Well, it looks like you got one.

He points to the ceiling, where it starts flashing red before the actual ALARMS do...

FELIX: Guess it wasn't that empty after all.

LUCAS: Mm-hmm.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon talks into his walkie talkie

DILLON: What in the hell – how in the hell did they make it all the way to that end?

MAN: (on the walkie talkie) They're with him, sir. Some of the guards weren't too far off. Just heard one of the idiots screaming.

DILLON: After them then.

Dillon puts down his walkie talkie, then look across at Goon.

DILLON: Him? That's all the explanation they give me. Him.

Dillon starts typing at the computer.

DILLON: Just wait until the infamous "Him" meets all Dillon Fortune truly has to offer.

**AS BACK IN THE MANSION ROOM**

The girls, now hiding under a table, hear the alarms.

HALEY: My God.

BROOKE: They'll be okay, guys.

Peyton speaking under her breath.

PEYTON: Lucas...you can do it.

**AS AT THE BLOCKING SECTION**

Lucas, Nathan amd Felix all keep their backs flattened against the individual walls of the maze-like area...

...trying to stay out of sight.

Guards...six men of Dillon's crew approaching, moving all about ...clicking their guns...semi-automatics ready

FIRST GUARD: Come out, come out wherever you are. 


	10. PART 9

The Guards look for the gang...it's the guys who are facing the danger.

First Guard moving toward a second block, making his presence known to Lucas, Nathan, and Felix.

They don't see him, but they know he's there.

Lucas, on the same blocking wall as Felix, looks across at one of his fleeing partners.

He waves his hands for Felix to be as quiet as possible.

Nathan leaning against the intersecting block vertical to them --

--as First Guard makes his way down Lucas and Felix's path -- Lucas sliding his back down the block to where he rolls around it to the other side.

Felix jumping out in front of First Guard and smiling...

FIRST GUARD: Son of a--

Lucas coming up behind First Guard with a handchop to the neck as he goes down, unconscious.

Felix shaking his head in amusement, Lucas pulling him to the side of another block as a Second Guard heads down the same path --

Nathan at the intersecting block ducking down, witnessing a shadow coming toward him.

He whispers.

NATHAN: (to himself) Okay, Lucas...time I use all that nifty crap you had me memorize.

Nathan quickly moving to a protective block and knocking against it...

Third Guard becoming alarmed at the noise and warns off Second Guard as to show that he'll check it out.

Second Guard going about his own duty, toward Lucas and Felix's direction --

Third Guard trying to be clever in making walking sounds, faking that he'll be going to the right instead of the left...

He goes left...

THRID GUARD: Gotcha!

Empty!

No one is there at the block --

Third Guard holding up his rifle in puzzlement.

NATHAN: Looking for me?

Third Guard turning to see Nathan right there before hm.

WHACK!

Nathan slugging the creep in the face with what looks like a broken wooden leg of a table.

The man hitting the floor hard.

NATHAN: Asshole.

Nathan immediately scurrying to the side where he instantly sees Lucas and Felix standing over another knocked-out guard.

He moves to them, all speaking softly.

NATHAN: Dude.

LUCAS: I know.

A few flashlights being waved in their direction.

LUCAS: Down.

Lucas ducking with Nathan and Felix, leading as they all follow to another block.

The other three enemies heard scurrying around...voices.

LUCAS: Here.

The guys steathily making their way through the maze-like section and past the first batch of guards.

Lucas letting out a bored sigh.

LUCAS: Just like last time... Jeez.

**AS BACK IN A MANSION ROOM**

Haley, Peyton and Brooke stretch out underneath the table, all lying parallel to each other.

HALEY: Why do we always end up in these life-threatening situations?

BROOKE: Karma?

PEYTON: Well, if it's karma, its ass is late.

Haley and Brooke laughing.

BROOKE: As long as it took to get here...definitely.

Haley looking toward the door

HALEY: Shhh...we gotta stay quiet.

PEYTON: Right.

BROOKE: Right.

HALEY: Just not doing the job to keep our minds off of the worse, is it? -- This talking.

Haley now focusing on the heaviest things in the room they could find to block the door.

HALEY: Shouldn't we move that before the guys come back?

BROOKE: No -- we should move that once we finally know we'll be outta this hell hole.

PEYTON: Kinda the same thing.

BROOKE: Only if it means we all get outta here together.

HALEY: God, don't think like that, Brooke. We'll all make it through this.

BROOKE: I'm just being realistic, Haley. And even with Peyton's Super Boy on the job...things could still go wrong for us...that's all I'm saying.

Peyton looks away.

Brooke seeing her distress.

BROOKE: P. Sawyer...you know I have faith in Lucas.

PEYTON: I know. And I have faith in the guys.

It's quiet again...

Brooke shrugging...

BROOKE: Even Felix? You sure? Because that boy gives the word dumb new meaning.

Haley and Peyton laughing.

**AS AT SOME OTHER BLOCKING AREA**

Lucas, Nathan and Felix all peep around the corner to view a fourth guard.

Felix suddenly taking matters into his own hands, and going toward the other side of the block --

Lucas trying to grab at the dolt to stay put, but Felix resisting and peeping around the other side, instead spotting a fifth guard, who is surprisingly asleep -- sitting back against his post.

He goes back to Lucas and Nathan.

-- all keeping their voices down.

LUCAS: What are you --

FELIX: You two FBI agents got your ways of doing things. And so do I.

Felix shrugs.

FELIX: Nothing fancy.

He pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and tears at it.

Nathan and Lucas going to look out at the side Felix was so interested in.

NATHAN: Can you believe that ass is asleep?

LUCAS: This side wasn't expecting us as much as the other one. We're at least three corridors away from where we just came from. Bastard probably figured he'd get a little shut-eye in between. They're E guards. Extra guards in our way.

Lucas sighs.

LUCAS: Looks like that door can lead to the main section.

Felix stepping to Nathan and Lucas.

FELIX: Watch this.

He holds up a writing utensil.

FELIX: Brooke's eyeliner.

NATHAN: So what are you doing with it? Like to play dress up on the weekends?

Felix smacking him in the shoulder.

FELIX: Shut up.

He writes on the torn piece of paper.

FELIX: Saw Lucas sneaking his woman's manicure items and crap, and I thought he's not the only one who can do this.

Nathan, Felix and Lucas all bending down again, hearing the extra guard coming around the corner. They quickly move to the opposite side.

Felix immediately taking this chance to go torward to where the second extra guard is, and lay the note in his lap.

Lucas and Nathan nervous about it as they watch Felix rushing back to where they are --

First E Guard coming around their block just as --

Safety!

Lucas, Nathan, and Felix all hiding safely out of sight, watching First E Guard approach Second E Guard and kick him.

FIRST E GUARD: Eh, get up! Sleeping now? What are you, dense?

Second E Guard looking up at his friend and wiping at his mouth.

First E Guard frowning.

FIRST E GUARD: Yeah, that's right, shake it off.

He chuckles at the youngster, rubbing at his head.

FIRST E GUARD: Ah, it's okay, kid. You're new at this, right?

With that, First Extra Guard moves just a little away to the left, keeping watch as he stands and looks straight ahead.

Second E Guard then noticing the letter in his lap.

He reads it.

**INSERT - LETTER**

"I've been thinking about you a lot lately."

Second E Guard looks up at First E guard, who just so happens to be smiling his way.

He grunts uncomfortably...then continues to read the letter.

"Yeah, you... Don't be shy. I just can't get you out of my head. Our afternoon walks, our late-night talks... It's been magical."

Second E Guard looks up at First E guard again, seeing that this time First E Guard is giving him a "thumbs up" and gesturing for him to stand.

Second E Guard reads more of the letter:

"Hope we can keep this under wraps. I'm going crazy not touching you. With every passing moment -- I die a little inside. "

**BACK TO SCENE**

as Secnd E guard looks weirdly at First E guard.

First E Guard winking.

Second E guard angering.

SECOND E GUARD: Oh, that is it!

He gets up, marching up to First E Guard and shouting.

SECOND E GUARD: What is the point of this? This some joke or something?

Nathan, Lucas and Felix all watching from the corner.

NATHAN: What did you put in that letter anyway?

Felix smiling.

FELIX: Got them away from the door, didn't it?

First E Guard holdng up his hands as to protest his innocence.

FIRST E GUARD: I'm telling you I didn't write that.

SECOND E GUARD: Oh, right... You've been giving me weird looks ever since that time in the shower. I thought we weren't going to talk about that night.

Lucas and Nathan snickering, trying to keep it under control and silent as Felix giggles alongside them.

Pop!

Second E Guard punching his partner --

First E Guard punching him back.

Both men tackling each other to the floor, too preoccupied to notice Lucas, Nathan and Felix all sneaking toward the unwatched door, their hands over their mouths as to try to cover their humor in hearing the rest of the guards argument.

FIRST E GUARD: I never said I loved you!

Whop!

SECOND E GUARD: What about the next night when we experimented. We weren't sure, remember!

Smack!

Nathan, Lucas and Felix quitely opening the door and going down the hall.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon sits in front of the computer, holding up a mirror, staring at it.

Goon studies him from a distance...then approaches the trrouled ex-con.

GOON: What's that about?

DILLON: Everyone says I look like Ricky. You say I'm the spitting image...others say "Whoa!" but I just don't see it. Sure the dark hair is there, but nothing else...

Goon leans against the table, eager to talk.

GOON: We're not talking about your looks, Dillon. At least I'm not. It's your soul, man...you both were given the gift of intellect...both the curse of stubborness...and both the skills of technological knowledge combined with natural surroundings that it's like it makes my head spin.

DILLON: Spinning heads... sounds exciting.

GOON: I'm serious... The only difference, I guess, is the heart. Some people say heart and soul are the same thing, but first, man, you have to have a heart for that soul to even match. Ricky...his soul was dark -- he was angry at the world and everything in it -- always wanted things to be handed to him -- it was insane. But you -- it's like you're driven by passion -- you work to make things happen -- And you take out creeps who murder your family.

Goon makes a face almost as evil as Dillon spews every few seconds.

GOON: Somehow I don't see anything wrong with that.

Dillon ignores his friends good/evil rant, and plays with the lighter to the side of his keyboard. He flares it up.

DILLON: What do you make of the dark-haired girl? I heard her tool say her name at one moment in their bickering.

GOON: Dark-haired girl?

DILLON: The one they call Brooke?

Goon shrugs.

GOON: Pretty enough.

Dillon waves the flame in front of his eyes.

DILLON: She's amazing... She reminds me of Evangeline?

GOON: Your old high school sweetheart?

DILLON: Have you heard from her?

GOON: Who, Evangeline? No -- I suppose she gave up on you once you were sentenced to prison.

Dillon sighs.

DILLON: I miss her.

AS MILES AWAY -

**IN SOME QUAINT LITTLE HOUSE**

A BRUNETTE WOMAN laughs with a few of her friends.

BRUNETTE WOMAN: No, no -- I was never a big Xena fan. It was always Wonder Woman for me.

FIRST FRIEND: Please! Wonder Woman would totally get her ass whipped by Xena, and then whipped again by Gabrielle.

They all giggle.

A LITTLE VOICE heard coming from the distance.

LITTLE VOICE: Mom! I need you, mom!

The friends allowing this interruption with politeness.

SECOND FRIEND: Whoops. Looks like little man needs you.

Brunette Woman excusing herself from the room.

BRUNETTE WOMAN: Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat here with you all about favorite and somewhat tacky super hereos -- duty calls.

THIRD FRIEND: Yeah, go get him, vangy.

FIRST FRIEND: Oh, and Evangeline, tell him I said hi.

SECOND FRIEND: And remind me never to have kids.

Evangeline playfully pushing Second Friend in the arm, then smiling as she walks out of the room, and

**INTO THE KITCHEN**

where she passes a picture of a dark-haired guy on the wall. She turns to it. It's Dillon.

She bites on her lip and let's out an exhausted sigh.

EVANGELINE: Dill, dill, dill.

**AS BACK AT THE MANSION - IN A ROOM**

Lucas, Nathan and Felix all rush inside --

Lucas instantly going to the vault in the corner and picking at it; it unlocks.

LUCAS: Still got it.

NATHAN: No need to brag, man.

Nathan pulling out the rolled-up blue prints from the vault and closing it.

NATHAN: Okay, let's get back to the girls.

FELIX: Yeah.

LUCAS: Wait!

Nathan turning back around.

NATHAN: What?

Lucas going to a vent on the side of the wall, and pulling out a rope and some matches.

NATHAN: Dude. What do you have, open vents everywhere?

LUCAS: Only the rooms I entered last time I was here.

FELIX: Well, I think we have enough. You got us a knife and a freakin' flash grenade from the other room for goodness sakes. We gotta go.

LUCAS: It's never enough. Flash grenades are only for blinding purposes. Won't protect you long.

FELIX: Whatever. Let's just go.

Lucas picking up his instruments.

LUCAS: Okay, I got it.

The guys leaving.

**AS BACK IN THE GIRL'S ROOM**

Haley, Peyton, and Brooke still lie underneath the table, trying to keep each other calm.

HALEY: So...one of the guards...he said he recognized me from the rockstar scene.

Peyton giggles.

PEYTON: Yeah, some of those guys are more concerned with celebrity than being the big bad men they say they are.

BROOKE: Hey! That's so not fair...I've been working on this clothing-line thingy for a while now. You'd think one of them would at least recognize my name or something.

PEYTON: I would say something about my art museum, but seriously -- how many of those guys do you think are really into Van Gogh?

The girls laughing.

Bump!

A loud sound smacks against the door.

Haley, Peyton and Brooke becoming quiet.

They see the light and shadows seeping in from the crack under the door.

HALEY: Oh, my God.

Peyton grabbing her taser gun.

HALEY: What are we gonna do?

PEYTON: Taser their ass.

BROOKE: But with all the stuff packed against the door, do you think they can still get in?

Brooke's question is soon answered for her as the door starts to be pushed at.

Peyton sees the reflective shinning, then a mirror slides under the door.

She smiles.

PEYTON: It's Lucas.

BROOKE: What, how do you know?

Peyton getting up from under the table...the others following.

PEYTON: Years ago Lucas went through so many precautions and crap after the whole Ricky incident that this was one of them. Reflective lights. Mirror under the door. It's him.

Peyton moving things away from the entrance way.

PEYTON: Help me with this.

The girls doing so, and finally the guys are able to enter, the girls all hugging their significant other, the boys are eager for something else.

LUCAS: There's no time for that.

Lucas taking the blue prints to the table, the gang following him.

LUCAS: (pointing to certain sections on the map) Here. This is the dining area...about here...and four connections away from here.

FELIX: You make it sound like the internet.

LUCAS: Might as well be...I'm going to need you, Felix, here, placing the string from the wider outline to the inner outline.

The girls looking confused.

BROOKE: Whoa, what is going on here?

LUCAS: Survival Brooke, that's what. I need everyone to pay attention. Look at this map, study it as I explain. We're going to get outta here. Now I've already detailed phase one to the boys. Phase two, it's simple. We're going to have to take the shafts.

PEYTON: You mean, the vents?

LUCAS: Yeah, it's the only way all of us can get around without getting caught.

**AS BACK IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon stands in front of some of his crew.

FIRST CREW MEMBER: All groups are set up at every possible passage way there is just now.

He looks to the contraption on the wall.

FIRST CREW MEMBER: And we got it working.

DILLON: Nice.

Dillon moving to the speaker, where he presses a button. His voice carries through it as he speaks.

DILLON: Hey, there, Rambo.

**AS IN LUCAS' ROOM**

He and his gang hears Dillon's voice over the intercom.

DILLON: I heard you had some luck in escaping my men earlier. Brilliant, really, the whole note trick, or whatever. But to be quite honest, I've been going easy on you so far... But now...

Sounds of gunshots heard in the hallway.

Dillon laughing over the intercom.

DILLON: Run!

The gang all rushing out the door, they see the men after them...

then all going down to the ground when bullets are sprayed their way.

BROOKE: Ahh!

Felix pulling her around the corner.

FELIX: We gotta split up.

LUCAS: Read my mind.

This time, Peyton pulling Lucas with her...

The gang all coming out into

**AN OPEN AREA**

where they are allowed to go down either of various corridors...all splitting their own individual way... Nathan with Haley as the others run elsewhere.

Marching of Dillon's crew intense behind them, bullets hitting the walls and making them even more tattered than they are already.

**DOWN CORRIDOR 1**

Lucas drags Peyton into a room.

Moving back into the shadows of a locker with her.

PEYTON: Brooke and Haley, Lucas.

LUCAS: They're with Nathan and Felix.

PEYTON: But --

Lucas covering her mouth with his hand.

LUCAS: Be quiet, okay? Hush.

IN CORRIDOR 2

Nathan and Haley turn the corner, coming to an

**EXTRA SPACE**

where they move in the crevice of a well-hidden and protective corner.

HALEY: Nathan, we gotta keep moving.

NATHAN: No, Lucas taught me --

HALEY: But --

Nathan squeezing her facial cheeks together softly as to quiet her.

NATHAN: Stay calm.

**AS IN CORRIDOR 3**

Brooke pulls Felix into one of the many doors surrounding them; it's a closet.

AS INSIDE

Felix is the one panicking.

FELIX: They'll find us in here.

BROOKE: Felix, take some breaths.

FELIX: Take some breaths? There are twenty-something men out there after us with semi-automatics, and you want me to take some breaths?

Felix trying to leave.

FELIX: We gotta get outta here.

Felix turning the door knob, and Brooke simply turning him around to plant a kiss his way, completely shutting his ass up as they smack lips.

**AS BACK AT LUCAS AND PEYTON'S ROOM**

They have moved to where they are standing behind the door --

it opens, an EAGER GUARD holding a rifle coming in, only to get his hand slammed in the door by Peyton, Lucas using all his force to cover the man's mouth and keep the screams from shooting from it.

Lucas dragging the man inside, but he whips out a stun gun, in which, he tags Lucas with it, Lucas going to the floor with a brief shake --

PEYTON: Lucas! 


	11. PART 10

**BACK IN CORRIDOR 3 - BROOKE AND FELIX'S CLOSET**

Felix pulls away from Brooke. The kiss hasn't phased him.

FELIX: Was that suppose to impress me?

Brooke angers.

BROOKE: No, it was suppose to shut you up.

FELIX: Not working.

He opens the door, and exits, leaving Brooke alone.

BROOKE: Felix!

**AS IN LUCAS AND PEYTON'S ROOM**

Peyton knocks the stun gun from Eager Guard's hand --

Eager Guard grabbing at her hair and pulling it.

PEYTON: Damn it.

Peyton kicking him in the shins as he witnesses Lucas reaching for the weapon --

Eager Guard scattering to the floor, struggling to get there before Lucas does --

Unsuccessful!

Lucas has it, stuns the man repeatedly until he's lying still.

Peyton helping Lucas to his feet as they both stare down at the enemy.

PEYTON: You okay?

LUCAS: Yeah? You?

PEYTON: As okay as can be expected.

Lucas opening the door wide and backing up to grasp Peyton's hand.

LUCAS: Good, follow me.

PEYTON: Why'd you do that?

LUCAS: If we stay quiet -- let them search this area, they'll think it's empty.

PEYTON: Lucas, you're shaking.

LUCAS: Just stun gun aftershocks.

He grabs the passed-out guards arm.

LUCAS: Get the other side. My hand's still a little raw.

Lucas and Peyton both grabbing the guy, and dragging him to the room opposite them.

**INSIDE**

Lucas opens up the locker door, Peyton helping him stuff the guy in and shut it.

LUCAS: Quick, Come on. He won't wake back up for another hour.

Lucas and Peyton swiftly going back

**INTO THEIR ROOM**

headed straight for the lockers against the wall.

Lucas opening up one for Peyton, and Peyton hesitating at first Lucas eyeing her.

LUCAS: Trust me.

Peyton steps in, Lucas closing it, then getting into one of his own and closing that one as well.

**AS IN CORRIDOR 2**

Some Guards are closing in on Nathan and Haley --

INTERCUT

this with the guards closing in on a lone Brooke.

**AS BACK IN LUCAS AND PEYTON'S ROOM**

more of Dillon's crew move in there also --

Peyton seeing them through the locker slits; they're looking about

Lucas viewing the same image --

BER-UUUUUUUUUUUUUR-ANK -- BER-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR-ANK

The siren of some sort repeats over and over, Dillon's voice coming onto the intercom --

DILLON: (on the speaker) Get back to your stations --the south side of pinna -- back to pinna -- phase two is about to begin. I repeat - phase two is about to begin.

The men laughing, and slapping hands as they leave Lucas and Peyton's room with giddiness.

HAPPY GUARD: Whoo!

**IN CORRIDOR 2**

Nathan and Haley seeing the men flee, and seeming joyus about it too.

**AS IN CORRIDOR 3**

The guard is abut to open Brooke's door --

INSIDE

Brooke gasping --

OUTSIDE

The guard suddenly leaving it and is and running.

Brooke letting out a ragged breath as she falls back against the wall in relief.

**BACK IN CORRIDOR 2**

Haley furrows her eyebrows.

HALEY: What was that all about?

NATHAN: I don't know. Whatever it was -- saved our asses, that's for sure. We gotta find Lucas.

**AS IN LUCAS AND PEYTON'S ROOM**

Lucas steps out of his locker -- going to the door and closing it.

Peyton stepping out of hers.

PEYTON: Won't that draw attention to us?

LUCAS: I think the attention is already there. They seem preoccupied with something anyway.

Lucas strutting back to the locker and pulling out the few utensils he has, one of the items some puddy that he rolls up.

Peyton moves in front of him.

PEYTON: More contraptions?

LUCAS: I haven't even done the first one yet.

He walks across to the center of the floor and sits, Peyton following him there for a seat as well.

LUCAS: You familiar with C4?

PEYTON: I've heard of it, yeah. But familiar? You know I'm not.

Lucas holds up the puddy, placing a piece of wire in its center.

LUCAS: Well, this is as close as we're coming to it.

Lucas steadily working.

Peyton tearing up. He notices.

LUCAS: Hey, hey.

He reaches across, touching her face gently as he places down the creation.

LUCAS: Come here.

Peyton leaning over, Lucas hugging her briefly, then moving away, keeping his hand on her shoulders.

LUCAS: I need you to stay strong, okay?

Peyton nodding.

Lucas smirking.

LUAS: You know, it's funny. I usually never have to ask you that. You're so stern and confident already, Peyton.

He wipes a tear from her eye.

LUCAS: You know?

PEYTON: (smiling) Yeah.

Peyton looks down, it seems as if she wants to say something deeper.

Lucas catches on to it.

LUCAS: No -- I won't let you.

PEYTON: Lucas --

LUCAS: I know. And everything's fine. If we start talking about -- well, it's all we'll think about. And we need to focus.

He intertwines his hands with hers.

LUCAS: I said I would keep our family, safe. And I promise you -- it's safe.

PEYTON: Lucas...you remember that dream I used to have?

LUCAS: The one where you keep falling?

PEYTON: Yeah, and you remember what you told me?

LUCAS: I told you that falling was the best part... Because on your way down, you get to reflect on all the things that have happened in your life...without ever hitting the ground... And that's when you realize it -- that you haven't hit the ground at all... And so you never fall again.

PEYTON: Can you promise me that now?

Lucas becomes silent, looking at the floor, then back up at the woman he loves.

Lucas: Peyton, I have to tell you something --

RACKET!

Nathan, Haley, and Brooke all running into the room.

NATHAN: No more wasting time. We gotta get outta here. Now!

Lucas looking to them all.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

A dude claps his hands.

DUDE: Already got a few set up in that area.

A crew member unveils a nasty little gift, pulling the sheet back off of a cage that reveals a pack of barking dogs... Doberman pinschers, ravenous and angry-seeming.

Dillon folds him arms.

DILLON: Good stock.

He frowns.

DILLON: Do it.

**AS IN THE GANG'S ROOM**

Peyton asks the question.

PEYTON: Where's Felix?

FELIX: (off screen) Right here, baby. Miss me?

Felix comes strutting in.

PEYTON: Not likely.

LUCAS: Alright, let's get going.

The gang all stepping

**OUTSIDE THE DOOR**

Fright!

as a gang of Doberman pinschers growl across the other end of the corridor.

NATHAN: What? We haven't even been in here more than three minutes.

LUCAS: Not these guys again.

The dogs wasting no time in chasing after Lucas and the gang, the gang sure as hell wasting no time in fleeing.

NATHAN: Last time it was pit bulls.

The gang turning down

**A WEIRD HALLWAY**

where Haley slides, Lucas picking her up, all running over some grate-like area --

A dog passing his slipping pals to lounge a bite at Nathan --

NATHAN: Sh--

The dog's teeth seeping into his flesh as the gang try to pull him to freedom --

Abruptly

A GATE-LIKE BAR SPEEEDING up

from the floor, nicking the dog, and creating a barrier between the beasts and Lucas' friends.

Lucas and his group falling to the floor in shock and surprise --

-- the dogs on the other side of hallway fence clawing at it, desperately tyring to get to the young adults --

-- smelling the taste of blood as it seeps from Nathan's leg, and Haley tears off a piece of clothing from her blouse to wrap around his wound.

HALEY: Oh, God, Nathan.

Lucas surveys the gate/fence now unbelivably in front of them, the clawing dogs hungry in their attempt to tear at it.

LUCAS: I've never seen anything like this.

DILLON: (on the speaker) No, you haven't.

Lucas looks up in the corner of the corridor, spotting the surveillance camera spying down on them.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon's crew laughs.

Dillon waving at the computer monitor that showcases Lucas and his friends.

DILLON: You're on candid camera. Say hi. Told you this place was intricately set up. Bet you wish you had disabled these babies, huh?

**AS BACK IN THE WEIRD HALLWAY**

The fence blocking Lucas and his buddies in the corner, yet protecting them from the Doberman pinschers...starts to very slowly wind down.

Brooke touching Felix on the arm.

BROOKE: Tell me he isn't doing what I think he's doing.

DILLON: (on the speaker) It wasn't that hard to set up really. You and I, Lucas, I think we're familiar with all these crazy type of things, aren't we?

Lucas listens...as do the others.

DILLON: See that wall in front you? Yeah, the wall that's against your backs now and seems like a dead end at the moment -- Well, it's not exactly a wall.

Lucas moving to it, and seeing some type of electronic/digital box...letter buttons lining it.

DILLON: (on the speaker) You have four minutes to solve the riddle that is printed above it before that gate comes down, and those dogs are ripping you to shreds.

Haley, Peyton and Brooke all looking to the angry creatures outside their protective barrier so eager to get to them.

The gate steadily lowering...though slow...surely lowering nontheless.

DILLON: (on the speaker) If guessed correctly in the provided amount of time, the wall will pull back, allowing a quick passage way of escape. Get to deciphering.

Nathan grimacing at his hurt leg.

NATHAN: Quick, man, what does it say?

Lucas furrowing his brows at the riddle above the electronic box.

LUCAS: "What word is wrong when pronounced the right way, and right when pronounced the wrong way?"

Brooke looks to Peyton.

BROOKE: Are you kidding me? How are we suppose to figure that crap out?

HALEY: It'll take forever.

FELIX: Well, we gotta try.

Lucas tosses a worried look in Nathan's direction.

**AS BACK IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Goon nudges Dillon proudly.

GOON: That's wicked, Dill. Mighty wicked.

DILLON: Yeah.

GOON: How did you get so empty, man?

Dillon stares at his friend.

**AS AT EVANGELINE'S HOUSE - IN A LITTLE BOY'S** ROOM

She tucks him into bed.

LITTLE BOY: And so daddy wasn't bad?

EVANGELINE: No... don't you worry about that stuff.

LITTLE BOY: Good, because I always pictured him as some creep who just left us.

EVANGELINE: Price, I told you what happened to your father.

PRICE: I know...it's just why would he have left us if he wasn't bad? I know you said he had no choice. But you also said that before he did that he'd changed. What was the change, mom? The nightmares are getting worse... They keep telling me he's bad. Why would my nightmares tell me that?

Evangeline places a kiss to her son's forehead.

EVANGELINE: Get some sleep, baby, okay?

PRICE: Okay.

She walks to the bedroom light, cutting it off, then leaving.

**AS IN HER OWN ROOM**

She walks toward the television, picking up a tape, and popping it into the V.C.R. that rests beside her DVD player.

A video of her immediately coming onto the screen, a guy's voice speaking in the background as it is evident he is holding onto the camera.

DILLON: (off screen) How's my girl?

Evangeline sits on the bed, watching herself as

ON THE T.V.

A young Evangeline blushes toward the camera in the hallway of her school.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Will you get that thing away from me? Jeez, Dillon, you carry that with you everywhere you go. Got your whole life story on it too. Is it really necessary to capture mine as well?

Suddenly a Young Dillon puts the camera on himself, smiling wide.

YOUNG DILLON: Hey, Trey, yeah, you. Come hold this camera up, alright? Film us.

A guy named TREY coming over to do just that.

Evangeline rolling her eyes.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: You can get him on tape...as for me...I'm out of here. She slings her purse over her shoulder and walks off.

Dillon smiles uneasily toward the camera.

YOUNG DILLON: Keep it on me then.

He goes to unlock his locker, someone approaching him

JOCK: Eh, Dill, man...you gotta keep that camera hidden, dude. The Dean is out to steal that thing away from you.

DILLON: Yeah, I know, what's up?

JOCK: You told me to pick up your report card, remember? Don't know how they trusted me, but... Here it is, dude.

Dillon stuffs some things into his locker wasting no time in opening his results.

His frown comes even quicker.

DILLON: Turn off the camera.

JOCK: What's wrong, that bad?

Dillon sneers into the camera.

DILLON: I said turn off the goddamn camera!

SLAM!

He smacks it, the camera crashing to the floor as it goes blank. STATIC...

EVANGELINE looking away from the television, unable to make her eyes focus on her and Dillon's past of being young and naive teenagers in angst.

**AS BACK AT THE MANSION - IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Present Day Dillon says what he once said in his youth.

DILLON: I said turn the camera off! They're nearly dead by now. I'd rather hear them suffer.

**AS IN THE WEIRD HALLWAY**

desperate for survival...the time winding down...and dogs clawing at the gate...

the gang is coming up with different conclusions as to what the riddle means.

BROOKE: A football...you know like how in France or whatever...it's called soccer.

FELIX: Tomato...tomatoe.

PEYTON: No, it can be said either way. Neither is wrong.

HALEY: I don't know... I mean, if you say tomato it's right but wrong to others.

LUCAS: I think the point is it being wrong and right in general.

BROOKE: Hurry!

The gate now almost down to where the dogs will be able to cross over and attack the gang.

FELIX: How much time is left?

Nathan checks his watch.

NATHAN: Twenty seconds.

Lucas: Sh-- There's no time. He said there would be enough time, but it's baloney!

NATHAN: Wait a minute... that's it, isn't it?

LUCAS: What?

NATHAN: In the store it's written Bologna. "What is wrong when pronounced the right way and right when pronounced the wrong way?" Bologna. When you see it, it looks like you should say boloney, but you don't. And if you say "bologna", it would be the right way to say it upon first glance, but it's wrong since no one pronounces it that way. I read this in a cracker jack box once, I think.

The gate is one step away from lowering to the point where the dogs will be allowed through.

NATHAN: Do it!

Lucas quickly typing the answer in the electronic key box.

NATHAN'S WATCH:

Showing ten seconds left --

ACCESS CODE on the wall

**THE ** **WALL OPENING A PASSAGE WAY**

Lucas and Haley helping Nathan up...

...the gate..

...the dogs...

FELIX: Fast!

BROOKE: Faster!

Lucas, Haley and Nathan making it through the passage first..

Then Brooke...

..then Peyton..

NOT SO FAST! as...

The dogs are finally able to race through, one making a quick leap to Felix, taking a ravenous bite out of his arm.

FELIX: Ahhhhh!

The passage way closed to where Felix is stuck in between it and the dogs are growling his way, attacking, only one with the strong enough hold on his arm.

FELIX: Naaaaahhhhh!

Brooke swiftly picking up the pipe against the wall, and jamming it toward the opening.

POP!

Deflecting the dog away from Felix, and pulling her boyfriend to safety as he goes to his knees, holding at his badly scraped and bleeding arm, the passage way closing completely.

The others rushing to him as Nathan rests on the ground from his aching limb as well.

Brooke turning to tear off a piece of clothing from her blouse as Haley did before her, using it to bandage Felix's arm.

BROOKE: It's gonna be okay.

As...

on the speaker.

DILLON: (speaking) Two wounded men... Hmm...that's not gonna fair very well for the rest of the game.

Lucas noticing the camera watching them in this room as well.

Brooke has had enough! Taking stance beside Felix as she screams at Dillon!

BROOKE: Why don't you just kill us, you sick son of a bitch!

DILLON: (on the speaker) Now, what fun would that be?

Haley touches a hand lightly to Nathan's leg.

HALEY: Please. He needs a doctor.

DILLON: (on the speaker) I told you. This is a game of Hide and Seek... And Although you aren't hiding very well, who's to say I won't seek you?

NATHAN: You ass!

DILLON: (on the speaker) If you don't keep it moving, it'll be your ass. Move...all of you. And not with your significant others either. Split up in different partners. You will do this each time I ask it of you, or I'll make your job for survival a hell of a lot harder.

The gang hesitating.

DILLON: (on the speaker) Move!

Brooke frowning...then looks from Felix to Lucas, finally joining Lucas' side and pulling him along with her out the door, Lucas looking back at Peyton.

Peyton looking to Haley, and Haley nodding...

Peyton then moving to Nathan, helping him up for support as they exit as well.

Leaving Haley alone with..

Felix smiling her way.

Haley walking to him.

HALEY: I wouldn't think you'd have anything to smile about.

FELIX: Oh, that? I've been frowning so much in here that smiling is the only emotion I have left.

Haley helping him up, and looking to his badly bruised arm.

HALEY: Felix...

FELIX: Bleeding to death. Yeah, it seems that way, huh?

HALEY: We're not gonna let that happen.

They make their way out the door last.

**AS IN THE HALLWAY**

The gang are all at another intersecting corridor, each at a different direction of the hallway.

DILLON: (on the speaker) My crew's on their way. Better hurry. Off down your separate corridors, you go.

The gang quickly scattering as fast as their wounds will let them.

Lucas with Brooke...

Peyton with Nathan...

and

Felix with Haley.

DILLON: (on the speaker) You all haven't even began to see the tip of the ice burg. Your asses will pay.


	12. PART 11

**IN THE PASSAGE WAY**

Nathan sits down with Peyton kneeling over him.

…Both out of breath.

PEYTON: Nathan, we gotta keep moving.

He grimaces at his leg.

PEYTON: Look, I know you're hurt, but those men…they aren't playing any games here.

NATHAN: You try running on a hurt leg and see how you feel.

PEYTON: Nathan!

NATHAN: Peyton, chill alright…we got it all under control

**AS IN ANOTHER PASSAGE WAY**

Lucas pushes Brooke up into a ceiling vent.

LUCAS: I'm coming right back

Brooke grabbing onto the rim as she pulls herself all the way inside.

BROOKE: Lucas, you can't leave me.

LUCAS: Brooke, I gotta do this.

He moves ahead…Brooke looking down at him as she backs away and closes the vent back with fear.

**AS IN AN EERY PASSAGE WAY**

Felix looks to Haley.

FELIX: Stop here.

HALEY: What?

FELIX: I need you to follow my every word. You'll see.

**AS BACK IN NATHAN'S PASSAGE WAY**

Felix, Nathan, and Lucas all meet up, Lucas and Felix both going to their knees as they talk with a seated Nathan.

But…

**IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon is on the phone with someone.

He plays with a lighted match as he speaks.

DILLON: Aw, it can't be that bad. What's your name again? Ace?

**AS AT DILLON'S APARTMENT**

The guy covering for him complains.

ACE: I'm telling you – they keep checking up on you –on me – me pretending to be you. Whatever. You know what I mean. You get the point. Dark hair and an overactive bladder don't go as far as you'd think.

DILLON: Well, you don't really have to leave the apartment until tomorrow, right? And, wait, did you say you have an overactive bladder? Look, they'll be scoping out my new job.

ACE: Yeah, I know.

DILLON: You play the copy of my voice to the officer outside while at the other side of the door?

ACE: Yeah, sure.

DILLON: So he bought the-sick routine?

ACE: That among other things.

DILLON: Then quit your bitching. And hang in there.

Dillon hangs up.

**AS IN NATHAN'S PASSAGE WAY**

Lucas, Felix and Nathan all agree.

LUCAS: Got it?

NATHAN: Yeah.

LUCAS: Felix, you got it?

FELIX: Yeah, whatever.

RAT-TAT-TAT! TAT! CHICK-KA POW, POW, POW!

The sound of guns going off.

LUCAS: Let's move.

Felix and Lucas helping Nathan to his feet.

AS IN MOMENTS

Lucas throws a disabled surveillance camera to the floor, lining a hallway with some rope.

Nathan at the other end rubbing some sort of dust product at the door's base.

And Felix tying the cloth around his wounded arm even tighter…

…then loosening the screws to a vent…

…Nathan and Lucas signaling him to come back against the nook of the wall.

As

FOOTSTEP after FOOTSTEP brings a group of Dillon's men into the hallway.

The men stepping into a puddle of liquid, alarmed at just how quantity there is.

Stopping as one takes the time to bend down and survey it

CURIOUS CREW MEMBER: The hell! It's gasoline.

LUCAS: Now!

Lucas, Nathan, and Felix all popping out the other end of the hall.

Nathan grinning as he wobbles on his leg.

NATHAN: Crippled? Try burned!

Nathan throwing down the lit match…

…it sparking at the rope – jet speeding as it heads right for –

The men, eyes widening as they see the horror, it's already got them!

Whoosh!

Half of the men catching on fire, the other half jumping out of the way, to cover –

Screaming out words.

BURNING MAN: To the pool!

OTHER GUY: Ahhhh! The pool!

Nathan, Lucas and Felix all heading for the vent on the inside hall, entering, crawling in for their dear lives as it is barely big enough for them to fit their bodies through.

**INSIDE OF THE VENT**

Lucas making it in last, then closing the vent behind them, following the others as they travel their course.

FELIX: That was awesome.

LUCAS: Just wait until the day you really have to take another man's life. It won't be so awesome then.

Felix hesitating.

FELIX: Thought we just did that.

LUCAS: Whatever, man. You wanna make jokes? As many as there were there…I'm close to certain they had no trouble at all in finding the pool right around the corner.

FELIX: There's an inside pool?

LUCAS: This is a mansion. What did you expect? It's the main reason I had it take place there… I knew they'd be safe.

FELIX: Dude, those guys are out to kill us, and you're talking about saving them? Why?

Lucas looks away…

Felix frowning.

NATHAN: Always figured it would take more to start a fire with no utensils of your own to dish out.

LUCAS: What? These days? All you need is a match and a heated stare. Just glad there are so many goodies in this damn place to just help us fight our way through.

**AS A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THE VENT**

Nathan stops to hold at his leg.

NATHAN: Ah --

Lucas understanding.

LUCAS: Sorry about this, man. I know crawling can't be easy right now.

NATHAN: None of this is easy. And I gotta find Haley.

LUCAS: And we will.

Lucas pulling out the blue prints to the mansion.

LUCAS: Now, Felix, you said you left her in the L3 vent, right? Somewhat north?

FELIX: Pretty sure.

NATHAN: What do you mean pretty sure?

Felix shrugging.

LUCAS: That's not too far from where I left Brooke.

NATHAN: Yeah, Peyton's near there too.

LUCAS: Okay, boys, let's go find our girls.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Dillon leans back on his desk and crooks his neck at goon.

DILLON: You said you wanted to know how I got this way… How I decided to take the path of my brother.

Dillon plays with a pen on his desk.

DILLON: I'd think you'd know – considering you're one of the most sought-after lowlifes on the block. But I'm gonna do you a favor and tell you anyway… There was no decision.

**AS AT EVANGELINE'S HOUSE – IN HER ROOM**

She continues to watch a video tape of her and Dillon's past.

AS ON THE T.V.

Young Dillon is on the couch watching some show…his television blasting.

When, abruptly, a semi-nude, twenty-something girl comes running down the stairway, giggling.

Yelling back up the direction she came from.

SEMI-NUDE GIRL: Yeah, you bet you can expect the same tomorrow, baby!

She glances over at Dillon, who, without any struggle is ignoring her.

SEMI-NUDE GIRL: Oops, gotta remember the brat is always here.

She quickly grabs one of the folded towels lying on the table behind the couch and holds it to her naked chest, then turning down the boy's T.V.

Dillon bored and sarcastic.

YOUNG DILLON: It's okay, Valentine. After time and time again of seeing your old baby jack nipples, it's kinda become an event.

She snipes!

VALENTINE: Why, you brat!

Going over and pinching his ear.

YOUNG DILLON: Ow!

She finally finds a shirt to put on.

VALENTINE: Just tell your brother he can expect me here at the same time…same unbelievable position, okay!

She stomps her way toward the door

VALENTINE: You know… I don't even know why my sister even gives a damn about you. But tell Evangeline when she comes by, to next time bring a damn muzzle!

And with that, Valentine is out of the house.

Slamming the door behind her.

Dillon rubbing at his ear.

RICKY: (off screen) Eh, twerp?

Dillon looks over his shoulder at his older brother RICKY coming down the stairs.

Ricky walking past him to pop his brother in the back of the head, then bending down into the boy's video camera lying on top of the television set, waving into it with a silly grin.

RICKY: Why you gotta carry this thing with you everywhere you go?

Ricky heads for the door, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl as he does.

Dillon alarmed just enough to come out of his T.V. daze.

YOUNG DILLON: Wait, where you going?

RICKY: Got a hot date. Heard you got one too. Good luck. Just don't go telling Valentine about mine, okay?

Dillon pouts.

YOUNG DILLON: Well, why do you get to go out of the house on yours?

Ricky smirks.

RICKY: Well, duh. Because I'm the man of the house. Twenty-five, boy. More privileges kinda come with the territory.

YOUNG DILLON: I'm sixteen.

RICKY: Yeah. And sixteen just doesn't add up.

Ricky opening the door… A glossed up Evangeline standing in the doorway.

RICKY: Oh, hi, Evangeline. (Talks in a girly voice) Dillon is so in wuv with you. He tells me of candy canes and wildflowers, oh, how cotton candy isn't as sweet as your love.

Evangeline giggles.

Dillon getting angry as he tosses a pillow towards the door, hitting his brother in the leg.

YOUNG DILLON: Oh, get on your way, will you, Ricky?

Ricky laughing, finally going into his regular voice.

RICKY: Alright, alright.

He leaves.

Evangeline coming in as she shuts the door behind her.

Her short skirt riding up her thighs, managing to catch Dillon's eye.

He gulps, Evangeline walking toward him.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: So…your brother is quite the jokester.

YOUNG DILLON: A jokester who needs to move the hell out. He's too old to be living with his mommy.

Evangeline having a seat beside him. She tucks a strand of her brown hair behind her ear, then crossing her legs as those too manage to catch Dillon's eye.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: I thought your mom wanted him to stay here.

YOUNG DILLON: Well, it ain't working. He's hardly ever here anyway, you know that. The guy just came back from New York. No telling what he got himself into.

Evangeline laughs.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: You make him sound like the devil. I mean, c'omn, whatever happened to him being the best cop in the world?

YOUNG DILLON: Believe me…he screwed that up.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Dillon --

YOUNG DILLON: No, I mean it, Vangy.

Dillon takes Evangeline by the hand.

YOUNG DILLON: Ricky's into some real bad stuff. You can't trust him.

He peers deeply into her eyes.

YOUNG DILLON: And the thing is that my mom –

OLD LADY: (off screen) Dillon, that you?

Dillon and Evangeline turning around to see an ELDERLY WOMAN with a cane in her hand coming down the stairs.

YOUNG DILLON: Mom… hey… this is the girl I've been telling you about. Evangeline. She's a real nice girl. ma.

The plump old lady coming down to stop at the base of the steps, surveying the girl's features.

OLD LADY: She certainly looks sweet enough.

Evangeline smiles.

EVANGELINE: Hi, Mrs. Langs.

She then comes to her feet.

Mistake!

As her short-short skirt rides up her thighs, exposing even more of her luscious hip.

MRS. LANGS: Slut!

Dillon quickly coming to his feet as well, seeing the judgmental and somewhat insane look in his mother's eyes. His face telling all, that it's a look he's oh so well become used to.

YOUNG DILLON: No, ma. Not now. Not again. Not this girl.

Evangeline looking to Dillon in confusion.

Old lady Mrs. Langs unyielding however.

MRS. LANGS: Thou is unholy! Begone from my house, tempestuous wench!

Dillon embarrassed as all hell and beyond that, holding up his hands as to protest.

YOUNG DILLON: It's just a bad choice in wardrobe, ma. No, don't freak out me. Please.

MRS. LANG: It's the demons. Those sexual demons that which have possessed her, come to pass onto my son as well.

YOUNG DILLON: Ma, that's crazy talk.

MRS. LANGS: I said begone now, sexual banshee!

Mrs. Langs heading toward Evangeline with her cane, trying to hit the girl as Dillon jumps in between the two.

YOUNG DILLON: No, ma! No! Not Evangeline! Evangeline, run!

Evangeline wasting no time in heading for the door, stopping just a moment to look back, tears in her eyes.

The belligerent woman still screaming to the top of her lungs.

MRS LANGS: You trash! You'll never be welcomed here again! You hear me! Never again!

Evangeline leaving the house in shame.

**AS BACK AT VALENTINE'S MANSION – PRESENT DAY**

IN THE CONTROL ROOM

Adult Dillon speaks with Goon.

DILLON: "You'll never be welcomed here again!" That's what she used to tell every girl I brought home.

There is silence… Goon looking to Dillon.

Dillon looking to Goon.

Goon shrugs.

GOON: So your mom had problems. Whose mom doesn't?

**AS IN A LAUNDRY ROOM**

Nathan, Brooke, Lucas, Peyton and Haley all exit a vent.

Lucas out first, helping the others down and into a huge clothes hamper, where they then move from that as well.

Everyone looking around.

BROOKE: Where's Felix?

NATHAN: Thought he was right behind us.

HALEY: Ugh, I don't have time for this.

She grabs a hold of Nathan, as she braces herself up under his arm, making his stance easier.

Lucas breathing heavily as he grabs at his chest.

Peyton noticing, placing a hand to her husband's heart as well.

PEYTON: Lucas, what's wrong? You look as though you're about to collapse.

He takes in a deep breath and straightens up.

LUCAS: I'm fine.

He moves away from Peyton, going to Nathan instead.

LUCAS: You got that flash grenade still on you?

Nathan holds up the instrument.

NATHAN: Definitely.

LUCAS: Good. Keep it safe.

HALEY: What does it do anyway?

LUCAS: Hales, think smoke and a lot of blindness.

He looks to Nathan's injury.

LUCAS: We gotta find something to brace that leg of yours before any more damage is done to it.

He moves to the wall, picking up an old plastic play bar.

LUCAS: No, that won't work.

He then moves to a broom in some trash not too far away, picks it up and breaks it against his leg.

LUCAS: Jeez!

Then goes to Nathan, making sure Haley helps him to a corner.

LUCAS: Here, sit.

Lucas unwrapping the cloth from around the sickly-looking wound.

NATHAN: Ow, ow, ow!

LUCAS: Guess I forgot to tell you this is gonna hurt. I'll say it now… This is gonna hurt.

NATHAN: (sarcastic) Ha, ha.

Lucas balancing the broken piece of wood against the outlining of his brother's thigh, the wooden stick leading from that to the top of his ankle.

Lucas then carefully wrapping it up again as Haley watches in concern.

NATHAN: Ow! Damn it!

LUCAS: Okay, that's it. But we can't keep moving you every ten seconds. Don't want to lose anymore blood than you have to.

NATHAN: What other choice do we have?

Lucas is silent.

Nathan shrugs.

NATHAN: I wanna spend some time with my wife now. Alone.

He gives Lucas a pointed stare.

Lucas backing up, leaving the two to themselves in the corner.

LUCAS: Okay… Everybody, this ain't gonna last forever. Can't keep avoiding rooms with cameras. Let's have a quick pause. And keep it moving.

Lucas turning around to look at Peyton.

She's giving him an I-know-you look.

Lucas excuses himself away from Brooke's direction and heads straight for the other end of the room where Peyton is…

…Brooke left in the center of the room alone. She crosses her arms and sighs.

**AS AT LUCAS AND PEYTON'S CORNER**

Peyton frowns.

PEYTON: Okay, you gonna tell me what's going on or am I gonna have to strangle it out of you?

Lucas smirks.

LUCAS: Ooh, I didn't know you were into S&M.

PEYTON: I'm serious.

LUCAS: And so am I.

He places his hands to her shoulders.

LUCAS: I'm trying to get us out of here, babe. Alive, okay? I don't need you doubting me or asking me questions all based on your paranoia.

PEYTON: My what?

LUCAS: Peyt --

PEYTON: Nuh-uh. First of all, I'm your wife. Your wife! Lucas. Second – it's my job to be, as you call it, all "paranoid" when it comes to you.

She pulls out the taser.

Lucas looking a bit paranoid himself in that moment, eyeing her hands as she holds it and waves it around.

PEYTON: Just tell me… do I have your word that there's nothing to be all paranoid about?

She starts patting the taser in her hand. Lucas looks there. He swallows hard.

And with a hesitated nod…responds.

LUCAS: No.

PEYTON: Good.

She marches to the center of the room.

PEYTON: Because I'm not just gonna rely on your ass to get us out of here. Everyone, let's get going. Sick-o is out there and we can't give him the pleasure.

Everyone is indeed listening to Peyton and getting their things together as they crowd around her.

Lucas still off in the corner, slack-jawed at the woman's audacity.

Peyton winks his way.

CLATTER! CLATTER!

FELIX: (off screen) Woo! Stuffy in there. Wasn't anyone worried about me?

The gang all looking to the shaft, seeing Felix come out of its vent.

Once at a safe footing, he drops to the ground.

Brooke rolls her eyes.

BROOKE: Yeah, I was.

Felix smiles.

Brooke continuing.

BROOKE: At first… But then I remembered how you left me in the middle of an all-out manhunt and then I was like, "Forget his ass."

Felix sneers.

Lucas going to him.

LUCAS: You can't keep disappearing like that. Pay attention next time.

FELIX: For sure. So what we got brewing?

LUCAS: Ask Peyton.

Lucas folding his arms across his chest as he stares at his wife with a "dare."

LUCAS: After all. She's our new leader.

Felix nearly chokes on his own spit.

FELIX: Forget that!

He trys crawling back into the vent, Lucas grabbing at him.

LUCAS: Not so fast.

FELIX: No, no…let me go. Death has gotta be better than this.

Nathan and Haley snickering, finding some humor in this dire situation.

Peyton smiles a little too.

PEYTON: You're safe, Felix. I'm no leader.

He stops, turning around to view her.

FELIX: Really?

PEYTON: Yeah.

Felix wiping the sweat from his brow.

FELIX: Thank God.

LUCAS: There are no leaders here.

Lucas goes to the rest of the gang, picking up his utensils.

LUCAS: But when we head out that door, all bets are off. We're gonna have to stay with the person this guy saw us leave with on his camera. That's how he is. Once we selected our partner, that was the game.

Lucas backs toward Brooke, grabbing her by the hand.

Peyton moves to Nathan.

And Felix eagerly moves to Haley.

FELIX: Oh yeah.

LUCAS: And that's that.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

Some of Dillon's crew comes inside, agonizing…first and second degree burns on their arms, faces, and more, clothes ash and dripping with water, a few moaning in pain as others simply collapse to the floor next to the healthy ones.

Dillon and Goon jumping up from their seats.

DILLON: What the hell is this?

WOUNDED MEMBER: He…agh! Fire.

Goon is dismayed.

GOON: He set you on fi--

He stops mid-sentence as his face is full of shock in looking toward Dillon.

DILLON: It seems our recent little visit is making a hell of a lot of sense now. Goon, get these men to Carlo on the east side. He'll get them to the hospital without reason. You taking them directly might trace you or any avenging thug back to me, and I can't have that.

GOON: Right.

Dillon looks to the healthy survivors.

DILLON: You all come with me. I'll group some others on our way.

**AS IN DANK ROOM**

Brooke and Lucas sit back against a wall.

BROOKE: Is this going to work? Us switching from one empty hamper, camera-less room to the next? Meeting back up with the gang at agreed marking points?

Lucas sighs.

LUCAS: Probably not. There's only eight rooms like this. And I can't disable every single camera without those guys spotting us. Once we pass any camera, we're going to have to hurry and move to another area… Chances are, they'll be meeting us up in the one they just saw us occupy.

BROOKE: Lucas… I feel so alone.

He turns to her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes.

LUCAS: Brooke, you are not alone. You got us. You got me, okay?

She touches a hand to his face, Lucas smiling.

BROOKE: Oh, my silly hero-complex Lucas.

She scoots closer, her fingers playing with his lips.

BROOKE: Why can't Felix be as understanding as you? He's constantly leaving me… Not caring… Leaving me alone… But not you.

She seems to be leaning in for a kiss.

BROOKE: Never you.

**AS IN A SECOND DANK ROOM**

Nathan and Peyton giggle.

Nathan on the floor.

Peyton standing.

NATHAN: And then you stripped right then and there, you remember that?

Peyton covering up her mouth she's giggling so much.

PEYTON: Yeah.

NATHAN: I mean, it had to be thirty degrees outside, and yet there you were, giving me a strip tease.

PEYTON: Aw, c'omn, it wasn't that cold.

NATHAN: Close.

PEYTON: And as I remember, you suggested other things to keep us warm.

NATHAN: And as I remember, you didn't have a problem with that.

Peyton stops.

Nathan too.

Both of them realizing where there little talk is taking them.

NATHAN: It's been the longest night of our lives.

Peyton has a seat beside him and sighs.

PEYTON: It's amazing that we're even able to take our minds off of what's going on outside these doors.

NATHAN: Ah, we had some good times, didn't we?

Peyton lays back.

PEYTON: Yeah.

NATHAN: So what happened?

**AS IN A THIRD DANK ROOM**

Felix is sitting at a desk, a small stick in his mouth as he bites down on it, Haley sewing up his bite wound.

FELIX: Aaaargh!

HALEY: Gotta keep it hush, Felix. God, you're even starting to sound like a pirate. Told you I wasn't going to let you bleed to death, didn't I?

He mumbles something, but it's inaudible.

HALEY: What was that? You're very thankful that I'm doing this for you, and you'll never complain or bitch to me again?

FELIX: Aaaargh!

HALEY: That's what I thought.

Her bloody hands finishing up the last section of the stitches on his arm.

HALEY: Brooke carries around a but-load of crap in her purse, that's for damn sure. But even weirder are the things she carries in her pocket. Said she keeps this needle to remember how it propelled her to clothing-line stardom… I'm like, "Jeez, girl, give me a break."

Haley takes in a deep breath and lets it out.

HALEY: Wonder what she's doing now.

**AS BACK IN THE FIRST DANK ROOM**

Lucas backs away from Brooke.

LUCAS: Brooke, this isn't going to happen.

BROOKE: I know that.

LUCAS: Then why?

BROOKE: Eminent threat of losing our lives… loneliness…confusion, plus all wrapped up in the possibility that I could go to my grave having had bad sex last… You know that's not the kinda thing a girl wants on her headstone. Felix, just isn't getting the job done, I mean, he used to and it was good--

LUCAS: Brooke, ew! And more "ew". I don't wanna hear about that.

She laughs.

Lucas laughing too.

BROOKE: Guess not.

She sits back against the wall.

BROOKE: The truth is, Lucas – Sometimes I think about us. And not just you. Other guys I've been with. Random guys, failed relationships. And through it all, I've only been with two great ones. You… and Mouth. But Mouth's gone, and I'm left feeling… "Who am I supposed to be with if not him?"

Lucas looks to the floor.

LUCAS: I know I couldn't have helped.

BROOKE: No. Especially not with your temporary notion that I was the one for you.

LUCAS: Brooke, I was –

BROOKE: Out of your damn mind? Yeah, I know.

Lucas laughs.

Brooke smirking.

BROOKE: But we both believed it for a while there, didn't we? That we were made for each other…

She bites on her lip.

BROOKE: That is until one day you came over, all smiles and politeness and said what I'll never forget, "Peyton is the love of my life." You said Peyton was the love of your life, and then I knew it was over.

She sighs.

BROOKE: Even though we tried over and over again for it not to be over.

She looks him in the eyes.

BROOKE: I knew it was true. The way you light up around her… Well, it just speak volumes.

Lucas smiles widely.

LUCAS: Yeah.

He comes to his feet.

LUCAS: So, what do you say – we go meet up with the gang?

BROOKE: It's time already?

**AS IN THE SECOND ROOM**

Peyton nods at Nathan.

PEYTON: You're in love with Haley… that's why it never worked out with you and me. You never loved me like you love Haley, you know?

NATHAN: Yeah.

PEYTON: And I sure as hell know I never loved you.

Nathan chuckling.

NATHAN: Okay, goldilocks, it's time we left. Lucas said alternate rooms every ten minutes, but this first pit we gotta get the gang together.

**AS IN THE DARKER HALLWAY**

Felix and Haley move along.

FELIX: We're almost there.

INTERCUT

With Brooke and Lucas moving down a hall

And Nathan and Peyton moving down a hall as well.

All coming through different turns and spills

**AS AT A LONG CORRIDOR**

The gang all meet up.

Lucas looking to them.

LUCAS: Good thing you guys are good with directions… Nathan, how's that leg?

NATHAN: Not getting any better, man.

He leans on Peyton as she is his crutch.

LUCAS: Felix, your arm?

FELIX: The same.

Haley nudges him.

FELIX: Better.

LUCAS: Peyton?

PEYTON: Let's just do this, Luke.

Lucas nodding.

LUCAS: Alright, stay close behind.

The gang all following Lucas.

LUCAS: We're almost there, I'm telling you, you guys, there's no way in hell they'll –

The gang all turning

**AT THE CORNER**

GUNS! And more guns all in their faces as a healthy and somewhat bigger-looking group of Dillon's crew holds those guns and more right at them.

Lucas continuing his speech –

LUCAS: -- ever find us.

One anxious member clicking his gun at Lucas.

DILLON: (off screen) Wait!

Dillon making his way through the men to face Lucas and his friends

DILLON: But we did catch you, hero.

Lucas is perplexed and quite surprised by this sudden turn of events.

DILLON: Now don't go all tracing back your steps and analyzing in your head, it's not that complicated, really. I wanted something… someone else wanted something, and so we made an exchange. I think this person deserves their award. Come forth, Felix.

Gasps from the girls as they hear the name and see the person, Felix grinning as Dillon welcomes him with open arms.

The guys angering.

Lucas trying to attack the traitor.

LUCAS: Why you!

NATHAN: Son of bitch!

DILLON: Nuh-uh. There won't be any of that.

Dillon's men aiming their guns and cocking them, making it painfully known that Lucas is to let go of Felix.

With slight hesitation, Lucas does.

Felix joining Dillon's side.

Brooke watches him, opened-mouth and disturbed.

BROOKE: It was you. That's why you kept disappearing all the time.

DILLON: He was meeting up with me, yes. Now the first time he did it, he almost got his damn insides gutted, I assure you. But there was something he said that did perk my interest however. "Give me freedom, and I'll give you millions." Well, how could I refuse that? It seems you have quite the wealthy husband, Mrs. Davis.

BROOKE: I told you… We're not married.

DILLON: Also one that is even willing to share his property.

BROOKE: What is that suppose to mean?

DILLON: You… I told him I wanted you… And he didn't refuse.

Dillon's crew immediately grabbing Brooke, Brooke struggling against them, and the gang attempting to help, but then being warned off by the weapons pointing their way.

Haley snipes at Felix.

HALEY: I should've let you bleed.

Dillon's Crew holding onto Brooke as she kicks and screams.

BROOKE: Felix! I'm gonna kill you! How could you do this!

Felix grins.

Dillon has had enough.

DILLON: Take her to my room.

Some of Dillon's crew dragging Brooke down the hall.

BROOKE: Felix!

Dillon looks to Felix.

DILLON: You are to leave this town. Leave this city, mind you. I'll have my men get in contact with you for our business transaction then.

FELIX: How do I know I can trust you?

DILLON: You don't. But isn't it best to be away from here wondering if my men are going to kill you, then being here and knowing for a fact that they're going to kill you? If anything is consolation, you weren't there when my brother was gunned down, so you have my word that there will be leniency.

Dillon sneers at Felix.

DILLON: Now go!

Felix jetting down the hall as fast as he can.

A Big Guard questions Dillon's motives.

BIG GUARD: You're not really gonna let him go, are you?

DILLON: You want to be rich, I assume? Besides… There will be at least three cars trailing him. If he does decide to go to the police, his head will be hitting the pavement before that fatal breath even has the time to leave his body.

Dillon plays with the lighter in his hand.

DILLON: As for them… Well, you did find them, didn't you? Do with them what you will.

As with that, Dillon leaves… walking down the corridor…

…The rest of his crew members pointing their guns at a nervous Haley, Nathan, Lucas and Peyton.

Nathan never taking his eyes off of the men.

NATHAN: Lucas?

LUCAS: What? 


	13. PART 12

NATHAN: I got one good match and a hell of a heated stare… I think there's gonna be a fire.

Lucas knowing exactly what Nathan's means as he hollers.

LUCAS: Down!

The men seeing a grenade roll from Nathan's hand to the floor –

Their eyes on it…

And BOOM! The sound is deafening! LIGHT….blinding flash!

MEN: Ah!

SECOND MAN: Can't see.

Guns going off in the dark hallway

THIRD MAN: Damn, a flash grenade!

Lucas, Peyton, Nathan and Haley all having dashed some feet away to the floor.

As the men move around shooting their guns, disoriented.

NATHAN: Lucas, I can't see, man.

FIRST MAN: We'll get your asses!

POW! POW!

SECOND MAN: Hold fire! We can't see, damn it. We'll probably end up killing each other. It was just a flash grenade, didn't cause too much damage if alive.

Lucas his eyes, closed tight, grabbing Nathan and the others in a huddle, pulling them along the wall.

LUCAS: Just stay down. I said I know this place like the back of my hand, and it's the back of my hand I'll be exercising now.

Lucas moving to the vent down a little further, and shoving his family inside.

HALEY: I can't stay still.

LUCAS: Move!

All of them entering as

**INSIDE OF THE VENT**

Peyton and Haley shift their heads from side to side.

Nathan rubbing at his eyes.

NATHAN: How long is this suppose to last?

Lucas constantly batting his eye lashes as well, a hand-swipe here, hand-swipe there.

LUCAS: Two minutes, top.

HALEY: So you can't see either?

LUCAS: Of course I can't see, Hales. I'm not superman.

PEYTON: Well, you act it enough.

LUCAS: You okay, Peyt?

Peyton trying hard to keep her eyes open as well, but failing miserably.

PEYTON: Yes.

NATHAN: If it's one thing…this crap is keeping my mind off of my damn leg.

LUCAS: It'll be okay.

**AS IN AN INTERLOCKING SECTION**

Dillon walking behind a group of his crew, watching them push Brooke into his room as he speaks into his walkie-talkie --

DILLON: They what?

URGENT MAN: (on the walkie-talkie) I'm sorry, D. We tried, you know that.

DILLON: Tried? You shouldn't have to try. As a matter of fact, don't do anything else. Just stay there. Game plan has changed.

Dillon turning off his walkie-talkie in frustration.

Big guard approaching him.

BIG GUARD: What is it?

Dillon frowns.

DILLON: My brother always taught me…if you want to know how to kill a man…take it to his home.

AS we

CUT TO:

**LUCAS AND PEYTON'S HOUSE – OUTSIDE – THE BACKYARD**

Five of Dillon's crew looking around as Dillon breaks open a window.

….throwing the crowbar to the ground.

SCARED MAN: You sure the cops aren't around these parts?

DILLON: That's the beauty of knowing where your enemies are. Crazy captain and his band of cartoon cops think Scott's got his family in some safe sanctuary.

Dillon spits.

DILLON: After the long drive over here, you bet it had better be clear.

Dillon crawling

INSIDE

And standing

Stumbling over a few things in the dark.

He lights up a match, covering it with his hand for light.

The others entering and shining flash lights.

Dillon then blowing out his stick of fire as he grabs a flashlight from his crew.

The men knocking over things.

DILLON: Careful. Though trashing the place would be fun, I wanna leave no evidence that anyone's been here.

The men opening up closet rooms and such.

DILLON: You? Try over there. And, you, over there.

**AS IN LUCAS AND PEYTON'S ROOM**

Dillon enters.

He shines the flashlight around, seeing the most intimate of things.

DILLON: Jackpot.

Some other men joining him.

Dillon going to the bed, and looking there briefly.

….then moving to the dresser drawer.

Digging through the assortments he finds there.

DILLON: Business stuff…whatever. Panties, ooh, Miss Sawyer Scott…knives… What in the world? And I thought I was weapon-obsessive. Wait a minute… wait a minute… was is this?

Dillon picks it up – some long sheet of paper…his men shining the light on it as he reads.

DILLON: Well, I'll be damned.

Dillon laughing hard.

DILLON: Yeah.

**AS BACK IN A SHAFT**

Lucas furrows his brows together.

LUCAS: Ah.

NATHAN: Ah, is right. My eyes feel like someone took a crap in them, man.

Haley laughing.

Nathan not amused.

NATHAN: It's not funny.

HALEY: Well, mine don't hurt as bad as that.

LUCAS: You used the flash grenade wrong, doofus. It isn't suppose to be spun that closely or it'll blind your ass.

NATHAN: Got us out alive, didn't it?

LUCAS: That's the point. We're still not out.

PEYTON: What about Brooke?

Haley looking to Lucas.

HALEY: We gotta get her away from that creep.

LUCAS: I don't think he'll hurt her.

NATHAN: Yeah, neither do I?

PEYTON: Have you two completely lost it? Why do you say that?

LUCAS: Did you see the way he looks at her?

HALEY: What?

NATHAN: It's the way I look at you. And the way Lucas looks at Peyton.

Peyton looking to Haley, Haley looking back at her with a skeptical squint.

HALEY: Wait a minute, are you say -- Are you saying that scumbag's in love with her? He's in love with Brooke?

Lucas and Nathan glancing at each other, then back at their women.

LUCAS AND NATHAN BOTH: Yeah.

Peyton and Haley laughing like crazy.

NATHAN: Okay, I wouldn't say in love with her.

LUCAS: More like in love with someone who she reminds him of. A lot.

**AS AT EVANGELINE'S HOUSE**

Clothes on the floor…

Shoes to the side…

And Evangeline passed out fast asleep on the bed.

…the remote slipping from her hand…

…it finally hits the floor.

AS ON THE TV SCREEN

Her past continues to play out.

Young Evangeline pushing back Ricky's brow as he lay her on top of the bed.

It's a guy's room, thick with masculinity and rough in ego.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Ricky, come on, stop it. Dillon's gonna be home any minute.

Ricky nibbling on her ear.

RICKY: No, he's not. I sent him to buy a new lawn mower as well.

She tries to button up her loose shirt.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: The point is… we can't keep doing this. Not to Dillon.

Ricky, this time, ripping her shirt open to its fullest.

RICKY: I thought you found me attractive.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Well, when you pressed yourself up against me while I was in bed and you were suppose to be there to visit Val, I had no choice.

RICKY: I did visit Val.

He smiles devilishly, then lying straight on top of her, letting his fingers inch up her thigh.

RICKY: And then I visited you… And you have the most amazing legs, you know that?

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Yeah, your brother tells it to me all the time.

RICKY: Forget about him.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Your mother is gonna have my neck if she catches me up here.

Ricky laughs.

RICKY: Forget about her too.

Evangeline watches his eyes

RICKY: That was your first time, wasn't it? With a man? Sex? Your first time was with me.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: You know that it was.

He touches her nipple.

RICKY: I remember how it hurt you. I loved it. Every damn minute of it.

Ricky lowering a kiss to her lips.

Evangeline backing away, then looking straight ahead.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: And I can't believe you're taping this. And with your own brother's camera!

RICKY: Didn't I tell you? It's one of my fantasies.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: I'm serious, Ricky. Dillon is always using that thing, it's creepy.

Ricky gets off of Evangeline for a moment and moves to the video camera, pulling her up with him as they both stand before it.

RICKY: Look, I promise I'll make a copy of the tape, and erase what's on the original.  
When Dillon gets home, I'll stall him until it's done.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: But –

RICKY: But nothing. I want both of us to have a copy of this moment. One for you, and one for me. Gotta keep it sealed.

Ricky reaching for the camera, STATIC---

As

IN ANOTHER MOMENT

The four are at the park -- daytime.

Dillon, Ricky, Evangeline and Valentine.

Dillon and Ricky playing one-on-one football, without much success.

And Evangeline and Valentine sitting on the swing set laughing and gossiping.

VALENTINE: Hate to admit it, and even though I can't stand the brat, you're lucky to have Dillon, Vangy. He really cares about you.

Evangeline looking off into the distance at Ricky and Dillon now wrestling.

She then looks down.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Yeah.

VALENTINE: I wish Ricky cared about me like that.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: What do you mean, doesn't he tell you?

VALENTINE: The closest thing he's ever said to caring was "I'm diggin' you, babe."

Evangeline smiles uneasily.

VALENTINE: Dillon ever speak the "L" word to you?

YOUNG EVANGELINE: All the time.

VALENTINE: See? You're lucky.

Just then, a sweaty Dillon and Ricky running up to Evangeline and Valentine, trying to kiss them.

VALENTINE: Ew, you're all sticky.

Ricky, holding onto the video camera, grins.

RICKY: I'm diggin' you, babe.

Valentine looking to Evangeline with an I-told-you-so look.

Dillon smiling at Evangeline's side as he speaks to Ricky.

YOUNG DILLON: Isn't she the greatest girl ever, Rick?

Ricky tossing a sneaky grin her way.

RICKY: Definitely.

Evangeline becoming uncomfortable as she excuses herself.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: I gotta go powder my nose. Be right back.

Dillon kissing her on the cheek.

YOUNG DILLON: Alright, baby.

Evangeline rushing off.

Ricky grabbing at his crotch.

RICKY: Speaking of the bathroom, Eh, Dill, I gotta go bad, man. Taking the camera with me. Might pass some babes on the way.

Valentine shoving him in the arm with a pointed stare for that remark.

Ricky shrugging to suggest that he was only joking.

RICKY: See you in a sec.

Ricky running off as well, keeping the camera lens pointed toward his brother and girl before turning it around with him.

Dillon left staring at Valentine.

VALENTINE: What are you looking at, jerk?

**AS IN THE BUILDING LEADING TO BATHROOMS**

Ricky catches up to Evangeline.

She curses.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: God! I can't do this. I'm calling it quits. And when I get home, I'm erasing that raunchy sex tape of ours. At least, my copy!

RICKY: Vange, Don't.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: I'm calling it quits!

He grabs her tightly by the wrists.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: You're hurting my arm.

RICKY: Nobody quits me, dear-ry, okay? Nobody. Especially not the girl I'm --

YOUNG EVANGELINE: The girl you're what? Because if you say love, I'll laugh ridiculously in your face.

He presses her against the wall, laying a sweet kiss or two to her neck.

RICKY: Don't you see? There's something about you I can't get enough of.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: You're mixed up in some real bad things, Ricky, and I don't wanna get caught up in that.

RICKY: Who told you that? Dillon? Nevermind. We need to get back to the playground. Dillon and Val may start to wonder. Play it cool, Vange. Play it cool.

As within moments … Ricky and Evangeline join Dillon ad Valentine's side at the swing set, Dillon pulling Evangeline into his arms.

And Ricky sitting in the swing beside Valentine.

Dillon smiles.

YOUNG DILLON: See? This is how it should always be. The greatest brother in the world. Fresh air. Good health. Our girls. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

STATIC---

The images of this day gone --

And out of static --

As we witness yet another moment playing on the video camera.

It's Dillon's room.

Young Evangeline crying in his arms on the bed.

YOUNG DILLON: Shh. You don't have to do this if you don't want to.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: It's not that.

Evangeline sniffing hard.

YOUNG DILLON: Then what?

He peers into her eyes, wiping away the tears.

YOUNG DILLON: Look, if this is about your first time… I want you to know it's my first time too.

Evangeline looking up at him with widened eyes.

Dillon getting down on one knee, peering up at her as he takes her hands into his.

YOUNG DILLON: I love you, Evangeline Daniels. I know I've said it before, but I mean it. I mean it every time. You make me a better man every day. Just when I think life's hard and it can't get any better…you walk into the room… and I just light up. I do. I've never felt like this about anyone. And I know most people would say I'm only sixteen…but I've been waiting all my life for a girl like you. I've waited in every since of the word. When we make love, it's gonna be right and I promise you that I'll --

Evangeline cutting off his words with a kiss, the tears streaming down her face.

….then hugging him tightly as she stares into the video camera.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Oh, Dillon.

YOING DILLON: This is your first time. I got that right, didn't I, Evangeline? I at least, got that right?

She hesitates…then tells the lie.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Yes.

YOUNG DILLON: Then our first time is gonna be special. I'm changing my last name. It's gonna be fortune…because that's what being with you will bring me everyday. I feel it. I just feel it, Vangy.

STATIC---- the screen going blank once and for all.

**AS AT THE PRESENT DAY BEDROOM DOOR OF EVANGELINE**

Evangeline still lies on the bed, passed out from having sat up all night watching past events of her and Dillon's life.

Her little boy Price entering the room.

PRICE: Mommy?

Price looking over to the bed and seeing Evangeline in her slumber.

He smiles and whispers:

PRICE: It's okay, mommy.

Going to her and pulling the cover even further up to her shoulders.

He then backs away, tripping over something.

Oops!

He looks back up, making sure that he hasn't awakened her.

Evangeline only moving for miniscule second, then still again.

Price looking down and seeing the tape he's stumbled over.

He glances around the room; there are a few other video tapes scattered around as well.

Price picking up the one before him, surveying it, and then walking out of there.

**AS IN PRICE'S ROOM**

He runs in, all giddy and joy, going to the VCR near the video game system and DVD player on his desk.

He puts the tape in, backs up and smiles.

**AS BACK AT VALENTINE MANSION**

Lucas is the last to drop down from the vent in

THE CELLER ROOM

Nathan, Peyton, and Haley all off to the side.

NATHAN: Tell me that was the last vent we're going to be climbing out of.

LUCAS: I've got a plan…but first, Nathan, you need to get better.

Lucas nodding to Haley and Nathan looking to Haley as she holds up the sewing needle.

LUCAS: There's a broom closet to the left. You haven't lost much blood or anything, but the only way that leg's getting any better is if it's dealt with properly.

Lucas hands Nathan a towel.

LUCAS: Here, roll this up and bite down hard.

Nathan smacks his teeth.

NATHAN: Please! I've had more pain getting the little ducky tattoo on my left ankle than a few stitches being tossed my way.

He leans on Haley as she takes him to the closet, where she is to sew up his wound to the best of her ability.

Lucas and Peyton sitting back against the corner.

She stares at Lucas with accusation.

He growls.

LUCAS: What!

She grabs his face, holding on each side of his jawboned cheek.

PEYTON: Tell me what's wrong.

LUCAS: Peyton, just let it go –

PEYTON: Lucas, I know something's bothering you.

LUCAS: Just like Brooke's situation is bothering you?

PEYTON: We gotta help her.

LUCAS: And we will.

PEYTON: And what about you, Lucas? I know there's something…

Lucas' eyes barely meeting hers.

PEYTON: If you'd just tell me –

Hush!

As he claims her mouth with his, shutting her up with one hard kiss.

Deepening it, until Peyton's protests become a rather different venting of glee.

Lucas pulling back to let his forehead rest against hers.

Peyton seemingly a little out of breath.

PEYTON: Keep kissing me like that, and I'll take back every nasty thing I said about you during labor.

Lucas laughing.

PEYTON: I miss –

Lucas shutting her up again with another one.

SOUNDS of Nathan's painful groans coming from the other room, Lucas and Peyton pulling apart as they look to the broom closet.

PEYTON: Well, I guess no matter how many times you keep me from speaking…reality is still upon us.

They sit back against the wall, Lucas welcoming Peyton to lie into his chest as he kisses her brow.

LUCAS: You remember the time I played poker seven days straight while you were dealing with some really heavy stuff?

PEYTON: We were both dealing with some really heavy stuff, as I remember it… Your job, and what had just happened with Mouth. We thought we could put it all behind us, but then you started having the nightmares.

LUCAS: Yeah.

PEYTON: I wanted to kill you.

She laughs.

PEYTON: After those seven days, you followed it up with even more heavy gambling, Lucas, by hitting the casino every night. I was home alone. No one to talk to. No one to listen to. Brooke had enough on her plate at the moment. And Haley – well – Haley had Nathan. I had a T.V. and a bunch of crappy opera DVD's. And did I mention opera isn't exactly my style?

Lucas smirks.

LUCAS: I'm sorry I did that to you. That I put you through that.

PEYTON: You should be. One of those bitches couldn't sing worth a damn.

Lucas and Peyton snickering.

Another pained groan heard coming from Nathan's direction.

Lucas clearing his throat.

LUCAS: But I forgot to tell you.

He hesitates, then finds the words.

LUCAS: …what I did during those seven days and all that other stuff along with it.

PEYTON: Uh-oh.

LUCAS: It's not that like that.

He plays with Peyton's hair.

LUCAS: Peyt… you thought of that time as a get-away time from you, but it was the complete opposite of that… I was such a wreck then, and I knew I'd be stressing out with the fact of our welcoming a new life into the household, that I just thought I'd bring you down. You were so happy and positive about things that I didn't want to ruin that for you.

PEYTON: But by leaving, you did bring me down, Lucas.

LUCAS: I know that now. Tried to help and ended up hurting you. See…during that whole time, I kept a journal…an "I'm miserable without Peyton today because of what?" journal.

Peyton moving away to look up at Lucas now.

LUCAS: Don't laugh or anything, okay? And believe me, it will be last time that Lucas Scott keeps a journal.

PEYTON: Don't talk about yourself in third person, you sound like an ass.

LUCAS: Well, at risk of sounding like an ass… There would be some days where I'd find myself at a bar writing… "Today, I miserable because I'm at a bar without Peyton." And then other times where I'd be at the station and I'd write "Today I'm miserable because I'm at the station without Peyton."

PEYTON: But I'm not suppose to be at the station.

Lucas laughing.

LUCAS: I know, right? But that's the point...I realized my life – that I'm…not as whole or content as I am without you by my side.

Peyton batting her eye lashes Lucas' way, and looking down in embarrassment to his words.

Lucas simply lifting up her chin with a gentle finger and laying a soft kiss to her lips.

LUCAS: You're my better half, Peyton Sawyer. Always have been.

Peyton unable to look away from his earnest eyes.

Both going in for another kiss.

Ahhh!

Another PAINFUL GROAN heard coming from Nathan's direction.

Peyton pulling away to look at the broom closet door once more.

PEYTON: And it looks like we should go check on Nathan's better half to make sure she isn't killing him yet.

Lucas smiling as he pulls her up and they both head for the two.

**AS IN DILLON'S ROOM**

He comes in, a few men at his side as he carries a bag of a few things.

Brooke in the corner, tied to a chair, with what looks like two bodyguards making sure she stays there.

She sits restlessly.

BROOKE: What were you up to, getting a life?

Dillon casts a few glances to the men, the men getting his point and leaving the room.

BROOKE: Well, you have them well-trained.

DILLON: Bite your tongue, Ms. Davis.

BROOKE: Don't you tell me what to bite and what not to –

Dillon moving right over to her, grabbing a chair and sitting dead in front of her.

Brooke a little at a loss for words for his brass and upfront demeanor.

Dillon flashes a handsome smile, his good looks shinning even brighter because of it.

DILLON: I'm gonna get straight to the point.

Brooke looks nervous enough as it is.

DILLON: I want you.

BROOKE: You have some nerve… If you think I'm just gonna lie down and let you put your hands all over me –

DILLON: Not that. You. I want all of you. I'm talking the white picket fence, car parked right out front in the drive way…dog barking to the top of his lungs at the mail man, late night keeping up the neighbors.

BROOKE: You've lost your damn mind.

DILLON: All along with a comfy little mansion at Berford Hills… it could all be ours, Ms. Davis.

Brooke just blankly stares at the guy.

DILLON: Brooke. That is your name, is it not? You can call me Dillon, go ahead.

BROOKE: Well, Dillon… I think either you have me sadly mistaken for someone else, or you've lost a freakin' screw loose up at the top of that weirdly sheened-hair, big-headed skull of yours.

Dillon gets up, smirking.

DILLON: Oh, no, your name's Brooke Davis.

He moves to the table, leaning back against it.

Brooke frowning.

BROOKE: What happened to my friends? Are they –

She has a hard time asking, trying once again.

BROOKE: They –

Dillon finishing up

DILLON: Dead?

Brooke swallows hard on her spit.

Dillon loving it.

DILLON: No, but they will be.

BROOKE: You have to let them go. You're doing all this for your brother, but what you have to understand is that the man was evil. I'm not even talking "misunderstood bad guy." He was evil, plain and simple.

Dillon centering his back to her.

DILLON: You should learn to watch your mouth, Ms Davis. I mean -- Brooke.

He grins mischievously.

BROOKE: Look, what if I promise you me in return? Okay? You let them go, spare them, please, and you get me.

Dillon turns back around, gazing at her features before answering.

DILLON: Uh… No.

Brooke shaking her head in anger, Dillon flickering his eyes her way.

DILLON: I already have you, so no deal.

Brooke sneers, fury showing behind her beautiful brown eyes.

BROOKE: You're an awful son of a bitch…

She hesitates on his name and then says it with even more disgust than thought possible.

BROOKE…Dillon.

That remark seems to almost get to him. He turns away, looking down.

DILLON: I wasn't always.

**AS BACK AT EVANGELINE'S HOUSE – IN PRICE'S ROOM**

Price watches a new tape of Dillon's and Evangeline's past

His television set full with the images.

AS ON THE TV SCREEN

The moment takes place during the day.

Ricky has a shotgun in his hand, coming up to throw an arm around Dillon as they both smile into the camera, sticking out their tongues.

RICKY: Okay, Dill…you say that new jock is trying to take your spot on football field. He's badgering you, bigger than you, and bullying the hell out of you, am I right?

YOUNG DILLON: I can handle him.

RICKY: No, here's what you gotta do.

Ricky taking out a long wire and taking it to a dummy doll on the side of the porch, where Evangeline and Valentine are sitting.

VALENTINE: Oh, God, Ricky, you're not gonna teach him that heinous trick, are you?

RICKY: Shut it, Val.

Ricky tossing a lustful grin Evangeline's way.

RICKY: Hey, Vange.

Evangeline looking away, continuing to read the magazine in her hand.

Dillon responding to Valentine as she, too, reads a mag.

YOUNG DILLON: Yeah, shut it Val… before I yap to my mother you're on our property, and she calls the dog catcher.

Valentine furious!

VALENTINE: Listen here, you little snot, you wouldn't do that because it'd get your sweet little Vangy in trouble too. And if you know what's good for you, you'll shut the hell up or your mother will truly have reason to call animal patrol.

Ricky laughing.

RICKY: Yeah, focus here, Dill.

Dillon watching Ricky place the wire around the dummy's neck.

RICKY: Now wait until he comes out of the shower..that's always a man's most vulnerable. They're too busy thinking about the fact that their recent clean is gonna get them laid by a certain cheerleader that night…. Stay in the shadows on the turn, and bam!

Ricky pulling the wire tightly around the dummy's neck in some bizarre manner.

RICKY: Two lifts upward and a pull…you've got him at a pressure point, and that's when the threatening begins.

YOUNG DILLON: Won' that… kill him?

RICKY: Nah, it's pressure points…keeps him stabilized for a bit. Ah, I'll teach you about it later. Here, give this try. We don't have all day.

Dillon doing it, and pulling the wire back against the dummy's neck.

Ricky laughing,

RICKY: Wow-wee. Now threaten that bitch that if he thinks he's gonna take your spot on the field, he's got another thing coming.

YOUNG DILLON: You asswipe! There's no way you'll be me.

RICKY: More! More! And tell him if he trys to go to the coach about this, then he can expect more... You have more than one ace up your sleeve.

Dillon enforcing his anger upon the doll.

YOUNG DILLON: Dillon Fortune has it all, baby. No punk's gonna rat me out, not unless he wants more of the hurt I be dishing.

Ricky jumping up and laughing.

RICKY: That's it, baby bro!

Dillon stopping as he looks at Ricky in admiration.

Ricky patting him on the back.

RICKY: That's what a real man does, Dill. Only a real man. Number one rule: Make them suffer.

Evangeline seeing the change in Dillon's eyes; it's scary. She has no choice but to look away.

Valentine speaking her mind, however.

VALENTINE: He's still a sissy.

Ricky chuckling at his woman's comments.

Dillon, however, angering as he grabs the bucket of water there right beside the house, walks up to Valentine, and drenches her in it.

Evangeline quickly getting up and moving away.

Ricky still giggling at everything.

Valentine mad as all hell!

VALENTINE: You brat!

She chases him down the steps, Dillon fast, but not fast enough as Valentine pummels his ass to the ground and beats him senseless.

VALENTINE: Didn't your mother ever teach you respect! If you ever – Ever! Drench me again, I'll take your balls and staple them to the wall, you hear me?

Dillon laughing then frowning as he defends himself the only way he knows how-- by pulling out pair of scissors and snipping at the girl's hair, cutting out a sizeable chunk.

Valentine gasping as she reaches for her head.

Dillon taking this time to move from under her.

Evangeline getting worried.

YOUNG EVANGELINE: Oh, no.

Ricky again finding the humor in it all.

RICKY: Oh, he done done it now.

Dillon running for dear life.

Valentine screaming after him.

VALENTINE: This isn't over!

As PRICE, still watching these events of the past in his room repeats what Valentine of the past has just said.

PRICE: "This isn't over."

He stays focused on the T.V., watching it all.

**AS AT VALENTINE MANSION**

Lucas, Nathan, Peyton and Haley all stop

**IN THE HALLWAY**

NATHAN: Okay, what good stuff we got in the goodies bag.

Lucas pointing to a spycam at the corner's end.

LUCAS: We're on candid camera.

NATHAN: That's what you planned, right?

LUCAS: You betcha.

Lucas slinging the medium-sized bag over his shoulder.

LUCAS: Now let's go bust Brooke out of this hell hole.

**AS IN THE CONTROL ROOM**

A few men watch the surveillance camera, spotting Lucas and the others there.

The men signaling each other.

FIESTY MAN: Let's go! Let's go!

They rush out.

**AS IN DILLON'S ROOM**

His walkie-talkie goes off --

"Dillon…we've located them. Dillon. Come in."

Brooke looking to the contraption as well.

Dillon answers.

DILLON: Then what are you bugging me for? Once captured, take them to a place where I can be the one to finish off Scott.

Brooke looking concerned.

Dillon catching on to it.

DILLON: Oh, don't tell me you once had a thing for Scott too.

Brooke shrugging.

DILLON: Damn women.

**AS IN THE INTERSECTING WALLS AREA**

Lucas loads up another round to his M9 tranquilizer gun…

…him and Nathan both gripping one as they poke their heads from around the block, taking down four thugs each with a dart to the neck, thigh, etc.

Haley and Peyton watching before them with alarm.

Lucas and Nathan ducking back down.

NATHAN: You know, I thought you were crazy for always buying these damn things…but I gotta say, man, it's really paying off.

LUCAS: Yeah, found the other in the L4 area. Should hold us off for a while.

NATHAN: More like hold them off.

More thugs coming in, a total of eight rushing in from the other end of the section.

Peyton grabbing the tranq-gun from Lucas' hand.

LUCAS: (whispers) Peyton.

PEYTON: You didn't give me all that gun training for nothing… Now watch out.

Peyton leaning over Lucas to peep out over the top of the block…she locks onto the target …takes another thug down, other men seeing her instantly and firing away --

Peyton going down before any harm is done to her.

Haley rolling her eyes.

HALEY: (sarcastic) Real smart move, Peyton.

Nathan out of her answers.

NATHAN: What happens now?

Yooooooooooooooow—Yow Yow! Yow! Eeek-Eeek-Ting-Ting-Tang! LOUD NOISES going off in the distance of the intersecting walls.

Lucas smiles.

LUCAS: Right on time.

Nathan smiling with him.

The girls looking to them in confusion.

**AS IN DILLON'S ROOM**

He moves even closer to Brooke, touching her hair.

DILLON: God, you're beautiful.

BROOKE: God, you're horny.

Dillon laughing.

He pulls out a knife, Brooke flinching and panicking.

BROOKE: Please don't hurt me!

Dillon grimacing evilly as he steps to her.

CUT!

It is her ropes binding her hands and feet that are the things to drop free, the cut material wasting to floor as Brooke looks up strangely at Dillon.

He touches her face gently, this time Brooke studying his intention, his desire, not a disgusted look but rather a curious one.

DILLON: I'd never hurt you, Brooke. You can trust me.

Brooke about to say something when

BOOM!

Dillon and Brooke flying back against the wall

….the room tattered and messed-looking in moments…

…as Brooke lay on the floor, debris falling everywhere…she looks up to see

What the hell!

**IN THE DOORWAY**

Stands Felix, Lucas, Nathan, Peyton and Haley.

….the other woman she can't quite make out –

As Dillon looks up to seeing…

What the hell!

DILLON: Valentine?

Valentine Daniels emerges from the shadows.

VALENTINE: How's it going there, Dilly-boy? Not over by a long shot.

Lucas and the others immediately rushing toward Brooke.

Valentine holding a gun on Dillon as they do.

VALENTINE: You can thank the good ole C4 you had stashed in Vangy's old car for the blown-away bits of this wall of yours.

The gang helping Brooke up.

LUCAS: Brooke, come on, we don't have much time.

Brooke all dreary, but not dreary enough not to notice Felix there helping her.

BROOKE: The hell! Get the hell away from me! What the hell? You guys --

Brooke pounding at him, Felix protecting himself against her flailing and his hurt arm

PEYTON: Brooke, Brooke…it's okay…he's with us. Stop it!

Brooke looking to them all.

BROOKE: He betrayed us.

LUCAS: All an act. We couldn't let you and the girls in on what we were doing for fear of it not being believing -- your reactions were key. I knew they'd be trailing Felix the whole way, so he'd have to lose them on a direct exit outta town, where he could get help.

BROOKE: So you brought back Wonder Woman instead?

Felix grabbing her by the arm.

FELIX: Long story.

The others helping her move along quickly.

LUCAS: Gotta go. Fast!

FELIX: And I didn't leave town, Brooke. Never left you.

Brooke still a little dreary from the explosion.

BROOKE: Well, damn.

Dillon looking at Valentine.

DILLON: Damn it, woman, you could have killed us all.

VALENTINE: You know… when I heard Dillon Fortune was being paroled today, I knew I'd be taking no chances. Hopped my ass on the quickest plane and the rest is history.

Brooke is still dazed.

BROOKE: Even she knew Ricky had a brother?

The gang all stepping out of the hole in the wall.

Dillon still on the ground, blood leaking from a cut on his brow… looks up at the woman he now adores.

DILLON: Brooke, Please!… Please don't leave.

Brooke glancing his way for a voluntary moment, then rushing away with the gang and Valentine.

DILLON: Broooooooooooooooooooooke!

GUNSHOTS heard going off in the distance and in the near.

A few thugs running into where Dillon's at.

DILLON: Get their asses. I mean take no prisoners. They wanna see a hell day, well, the hell day has just started.


	14. PART 13

**OUTSIDE VALENTINE MANSION – THE BACKYARD**

Lucas and the gang come running out, Valentine pointing the gun toward the door, ready to hold anyone off.

FELIX: We can't stop! We gotta keep moving.

VALENTINE: I know this place better than anyone.

She looks to Lucas.

VALENTINE: Even you, Leather.

Valentine moving in front of them.

VALENTINE: This way!

LUCAS: No! Just as the inside is wired like hell, I don't doubt for a second that the outside is as well.

Lucas pulls Peyton along.

LUCAS: Over here.

The gang all moving to the side of the building as

INSIDE

Dillon's Crew all come to a stop some feet away from the doors with the leader halting them.

LEADER: Wait!

URGENT MEMBER: What do you mean "wait"? They're outside. Dude, they're bound to get away.

LEADER: And if we follow them, we're bound to get killed.

URGENT CREW MEMBER: This is ridiculous.

Urgent Crew Member gives the other men a look, all of them understanding of what he means as they try to follow his action.

Leader speaking once again.

LEADER: See what happened to the rest?

The men stopping then, taking into consideration what is being said.

LEADER: You wanna die too? Somehow -- this creep has been able to disable multiple cameras, set ablaze our toughest of the pack, and put enough of the others to nap-nap that we had to get back-up from Carlo's gang across town. My only question is…how do we know he isn't waiting for us to pass through those doors right now…all just so he can finish us off?

Urgent Crew Member now has fear in his eyes. He lowers his gun, and backs away, as do the others...the men now passing in the opposite direction.

URGENT CREW MEMBER: What are we gonna tell Dillon?

LEADER: Just tell him that we lost them outside.

URGENT CREW MEMBER: How in the hell can we lose a gang of six, make that seven in the backyard?

LEADER: You'll see.

**AS IN DILLON'S ROOM**

Dillon's looking in the mirror of his bathroom, cleaning off the blood and dust from his face.

Goon handing him another towel.

Dillon steady with his tone to his friend.

DILLON: I'm glad you're back.

Dillon picks up a bag beside the sink.

DILLON: You know, I don't even know why they have parole officers. Parole officers don't guard every aspect of a building you might happen to be in with them. It's not even like they think you'll try to escape while wearing that pesky ankle monitor the prison officials strapped you on with. Parole officers are just there to make sure you behave, really.

Another one of Dillon's crew approaching.

RANDOM CREW MEMBER: That guy, Lucas, and his friends…They made it outside, Dillon.

Dillon pulls out a curly blonde wig, and subtly dimmed golden toupee from the bag in front him as he looks out the bathroom window, the sun rising; it's finally morning. A new day that has seemingly taken forever to get here.

DILLON: Outside will hold them. We have more important things to take care of.

**AS AT THE CHICAGO CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT**

Captain is marking off names on a sheet of paper as he speaks into the phone.

CAPTAIN: Mm-hmm. And you sure he hasn't been there?

….waiting for an answer.

CAPTAIN (into phone) Okay, right. Thank you. Yeah… Bye.

Big Officer moves from the wall to the captain.

BIG OFFICER: That's the last of the most secured warehouses this city has to offer. Now unless Lucas knows of some top-secret government sponsored facility around here, which I highly doubt, you still sure you aren't worried?

Captain leans back in his chair and sighs.


	15. PART 14

**AS OUTSIDE -- BACK AT VALENTINE MANSION – THE BACKYARD **

Lucas' gang moves around carefully through the wooded area, Lucas leading them and guarding them back at times.

PEYTON: So, finally morning.

Lucas halts them once again, the gang all stopping in frustration.

BROOKE: I don't understand why we don't jus bolt from this place now that we're outside of the freaking building.

Valentine spins around at Brooke.

VALENTINE: Here's why -- Dillon isn't some little lackie who doesn't have a bigger plan when it comes to getting what he wants. Rule Number 1: Dillon Fortune always gets what he wants. Let me tell you, missy, you think you know the depths in which this man's skills run? I say you haven't a clue. This backyard, for instance…

Valentine points her gun off into the woods, aiming for the dirt. She fires.

Bang!

A flash of metal popping up from the grit and leaves, then clanging back to the ground.

The girls gasps as they move back somewhat. They see it, off in the near there, it's a bear trap.

Valentine turning back to Brooke.

VALENTINE: -- is rigged with countless things that will tear your ass up, in case you didn't get it the first time.

She looks at Lucas.

VALENTINE: Just ask, Leather there. He knows.

Valentine focusing her eyes back on Brooke.

VALENTINE: That's why.

Valentine lighting a cigarette as she smokes.

Haley watching her.

HALEY: Why do you call him Leather?

Valentine looks to Lucas.

VALENTINE; Oh, that? Well, when I met ole Lukey here, he happened to be wearing an ensemble, full-on leather, and was going on and on about finding his girl…or whoever the hell he was rambling on about, so that he could be with her again, and all that sentimental crap that goes along with it, and how he was going to punish Ricky for his wrong-doings in their lives.

She puffs on the cig.

VALENTINE: Sure, he'd saved me from the ass before. But, no…the first time we really met was when he showed up at my apartment that day wearing that leather crap, put to sleep my bodyguard, and was ready to brawl.

Haley becoming worried --

Valentine clarifying.

VALENTINE: Oh, not that kind of sleep. It was a tranquilizer dart, hon. He lived.

HALEY: (lying) Right, yeah, I knew that.

Lucas shakes his head.

Valentine smirking.

VALENTINE: Never seen a man with as much passion for a woman as Leather here.

Valentine steps in front of Peyton, dragging down hard on the cigarette.

VALENTINE: You're lucky. If Ricky had cared about me half as much, then maybe his ass wouldn't be dead now.

Lucas rakes his fingers through his hair.

LUCAS: Just answer me something, how big is this yard? It looks as if to go on for miles.

VALENTINE: Too many acres than I care to calculate. I didn't really ask when I bought the damn place either. Man just told me it was plentiful and abandoned.

NATHAN: Damn!

Felix pounds his fist into his hand.

FELIX: You mean we have to watch out for traps and B.S., worry about length?

He curses.

FELIX: We're never getting out of here.

Lucas once again addresses the situation.

LUCAS: Okay, calm down, alright? All we have to do is stay careful. Keep movement slow.

PEYTON: If they're still after us, which I don't doubt, slow movement may be too much to risk right now.

**AS AT DILLON'S APARTMENT -- INSIDE**

Dillon climbs through the bathroom window, knocking over a few things.

Dillon: Hell!

He approaches the door, but before he reaches it, the door flings open, a knife pointed to his throat.

Dillon stares at the grungy-looking man named Ace holding the knife.

DILLON: Relax, it's just me. Where's the ankle monitor I had you wear?

A voice heard coming from beyond the walls --

PAROLE OFFICER: (outside of the apartment) Everything all right in there? Dillon, it's time, you goof. What the hell are you doing in there?

Dillon covering up Ace's mouth.

DILLON: Shh.

**AS IN THE DOORWAY, A FEW MINUTES LATER**

Dillon, all dressed in suit attire, is the one to open the door, smiling and all.

The Parole officer not impressed in the least as he grabs Dillon by the arm, the two of them moving alone, as Dillon shuts the door behind them.

PAROLE OFFICER: Jeez, don't you know how to shave? What's up with the several little cuts on your face there? Get into a battle with your reflection in the mirror in there or what? I don't know why you dressed up anyway. A special setup is already in the works for you. As soon as they say "yes"…you'll be out there working your arms tired. You're lucky you have this apartment to come back to. I still can't believe how you were set up with this place first thing out of prison.

Dillon yanks at his own pants leg, which is temporarily caught in the ankle monitor he is now wearing. The pants leg covering the monitor fully while he walks with the parole officer to the parole officer's vehicle.

**AS BACK INSIDE OF DILLON'S APARTMENT**

The grungy-looking man named Ace relaxes back on the bed rubbing at his now-bare ankle, sighing his troubles away; he no longer has to pretend to be Dillon Fortune.


	16. PART 15

**OUTSIDE -- BACK AT VALENTINE MANSION**

Lucas speaks to his friends.

LUCAS: Okay, Val and I have gone over this area we're in now with some rocks as best we can. Skipping rocks across the dirt is a good way to be certain of no foul play waiting for us beneath its grit or on the other end. That -- and the expert eye. Scoot out a little, do what you gotta do, talk if you have to talk. Piss if you have to piss... Behind those bushes over there, if you want. We checked that spot too, it's safe. Just stay near, don't go wondering off or anything.

Felix folding his arms across his chest.

FELIX: Eh, I'd rather eat.

Lucas digging into the backpack in front of him, and tossing out some MRE's to the ground.

LUCAS: Those ready-to-eat meals are the only food I found on the way through that mansion. There should be enough for everyone. The bags were too big to get more and make them fit, so I had to cut open what I had to, and stuff that into the bags I did bring.

Lucas looks to Peyton, taking some food to her.

Lucas and Peyton moving down lower to the right, where there is a slope, and a puddle of dirty water.

Nathan leaning on Haley as the two of them move off to the left, and Felix tosses a bag of chips their way, Nathan catching it.

Valentine moving to a tree in the center where she leans back to smoke.

And Brooke and Felix staying in the center as they roll their eyes at each other, both picking up a snack to eat from the pile of food as well.

**AS AT THE RIGHT END**

Peyton doesn't even try to eat. She grabs Lucas by the arm, the both of them sitting, looking out into the group of trees.

PEYTON: I can't take it anymore.

She looks him the eyes.

PEYTON: I know you've been trying to keep my mind off of it -- me from even mentioning it at all --

She sighs…

PEYTON: But I have to know where he is... Where's our son, Lucas? Where's Dusty?

**AS AT SOME HUGE HOUSE – ON THE SIDE OF THE SHORE**

INSIDE

Dusty plays "paper airplanes," looking out of the huge sliding-door glass window, where it allows the spectacular view of the pretty ocean slamming against huge settled rocks by the dunes.

Merna stands to the side, folding clothes.

DUSTY: Zerm…zoom. Crash!

He suddenly stops, really staring out into the day now.

DUSTY: Merna? Where's my mom and dad?

She puts down the few towels she has in her hands and moves over to the adorable blond boy, bending down in front of him.

MERNA: I thought I already told you, honey. They're very busy with some very important work right now.

DUSTY: Yeah, I know. It's just that --

MERNA: Tell you what, why don't you go do what your father told you to do whenever you miss them, okay?

DUSTY: That DVD where we're all happy and stuff?

MERNA: That's the one.

DUSTY: Cool!

Dusty runs off to the back of the house, Merna looking up and staring out the window with a sigh herself.

MERNA: Oh, Mr. Scott…whatever you and the Mrs. got going on, I pray that you return safely to this young boy.

**AS OUTSIDE AT VALENTINE MANSION**

The young adults still do what they have to do.

IN THE CENTER

Felix scoots beside Brooke, who is playing with and tearing at some flower. He sees the few cuts on her face. Viewing those cuts seems to perk his need to explain.

FELIX: You know I never left you here to rot, Brooke.

BROOKE: First you say you left, and now you say you didn't?

FELIX: Not for good.

BROOKE: Whatever. That's obvious.

Felix stares at the flower she's tearing apart.

FELIX: What are you doing with those pedals anyway? The he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not game?

Brooke gives him a pointed stare, then proceeds to play with her fingernails.

But Felix is all too eager to talk.

FELIX: Okay, listen…I didn't mean to play you, alright? But it's like Lucas said, you girls were better left out of it. He knew how alert Valentine would be on the anniversary of Ricky's death -- suggested that while on path, I could take this quick detour, short turn on the ninth once I reached our house. Dillon's gang was parked out front, they parked some feet away, but I knew it was them all the same. I slipped out back, and it looked like they were supposed to be watching the backyard too, but his guys were so damn busy getting stoned, it was ridiculous. There's no way they could have even attempted to watch me, and if they did, hey, well, they would have seen three of me rather than just one… I met Valentine near this shady area that Lucas just knew she'd be, if she ever came back. And he was right. That's how it happened, okay? I was never going to leave you.

BROOKE: Whatever. And could you go off further into the woods or something? I'm really getting tired of smelling that gross, pungent odor that keeps drifting from you every two to three seconds.

Felix nearly growls.

FELIX: Alright!

He yanks Brooke up to her feet, his hurt and angry face staring down into her questioning eyes.

FELIX: First, I didn't even know you knew what the word pungent was. Second -- you don't smell so good your damn self. Third -- I'm really tired of you treating me like crap. Why can't you just --

BROOKE: Just what, Felix? Bow down to you? Be your dog?

FELIX: Treat me like a human being, damn it.

BROOKE: Maybe if you'd act like one, there would be something worth treating.

FELIX: You are ridiculous!

BROOKE: And I didn't start this, Felix. You have been closed off from me for years now! I'm the only one who's been trying, and what do you do? You just throw snide remarks here and there.

FELIX: Trying isn't going on and on about Mouth every two damn minutes.

BROOKE: How dare you? It was the anniversary of his death, what did you expect?

FELIX: I'm not just talking about that. God! You can love lame-ass Lucas over there, you could even love Mouth, but clearly I'm just some scum of the earth below loving… Always have been.

Felix marches off to stand by some other tree apart from Brooke's direction.

Nathan and Haley eating chips while having watched the couple's little falling-out.

NATHAN: Damn, and I thought we had marital problems.

HALEY: And they aren't even married.

NATHAN: Ouch.

Lucas and Peyton having watched as well, but Lucas turns to Peyton concerning something else.

LUCAS: So you understand? Dusty's safe, Peyt.

**AS BACK AT MERNA'S PLACE – DUSTY'S ROOM**

Dusty watches his mother and father on a television screen, the home DVD video in which Merna was speaking of is playing.

Merna to the side watching.

MERNA: Your parents made quite a few of these for you. This one just a year ago. They told me it would be the best one for now.

LUCAS: (on TV) Hey, Little man?

Dusty smiles.

DUSTY: Hey, Daddy.

LUCAS: (on TV) Well, since you're watching this video, it must mean you're missing us like crazy, huh?

Peyton is seen joining Lucas in front of the camera.

PEYTON: (on TV) Well, don't you worry. Mommy's gonna read to you.

Lucas playfully snatches the book out of Peyton's hand, the rest of their antics even more vibrant on TV

LUCAS: The kid doesn't want to hear that.

PEYTON: Lucas!

Lucas stares back into the screen.

LUCAS: You wanna be a real man, right?

Dusty laughing at what he is viewing.

DUSTY: Yeah!

LUCAS: Then here -- watch me do these sit-ups. See if you can do them.

Peyton pops Lucas in the chest.

PEYTON: He's only five.

LUCAS: Good time to learn.

Peyton stares into the screen.

PEYTON: Don't you listen to daddy. He knows being a real man means learning to admit you're wrong.

Lucas is seen getting back up to wrap his arms around Peyton.

LUCAS: We love you, Dusty.

PEYTON: Love you, Babe.

Dusty touches the TV screen.

DUSTY: You too.

**AS BACK AT VALENTINE MANSION – IN THE BACKYARD – OUTSIDE**

Lucas brushes away a few strands of Peyton's hair.

PEYTON: I can't stop thinking about him, Luke.

LUCAS: Neither can I.

Lucas looks around.

LUCAS: And it's gonna be a long day ahead of us.

**AS WITH THIS MONTAGE - THE CHARACTERS CARRY OUT THEIR EAGER ACTIONS OF THE MOMENTS**

Dusty watching his mom and dad, Lucas and Peyton, on the television screen, the video showing Lucas playfully pushing Peyton out of the way, and the screen becoming one of showcasing Lucas teaching Dusty sit-ups, push-ups and other such body-enhancing exercises.

Price at home watching the tape of his mother and father's young life, Dillon and Evangeline, the tape now displaying Young Ricky teach a young Dillon how to fight, Young Dillon with a wooden stick in his hand swinging at a tree marked with red focal points that are daunting representations of the human body.

Price, watching this, grabs a baseball bat…as he imitates what goes on onscreen.

INTERCUT -- Dusty learning healthy qualities… Price learning violent tactics.

-- Dillon of present time at some construction site, thick helmet on, hammer in his hand hammering away.

-- Across town, at some bank, two masked people rob the place…guns in their hands, as they point them at the people behind the desk stuffing bags with money for them.

One robber, a femme body, long curly blond hair seeping from beneath the mask, turns to one of the bank's surveillance cameras and shoots it, the camera's glass bursting everywhere.

Another robber, light hair seen from beneath their mask as well, grabs the femme robber, urging that they hurry out the door. The two robbers running out the entrance way, bags of money in their hands, but not before a square piece of padded belonging drops from one of the robber's back pockets and onto the floor…the loud alarm going off as the two robbers escape into a van outside and pull off.

-- Back at the mansion, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Felix, Nathan, Haley, and Valentine all working on some trap-wise plans, setting up rope, digging holes in the ground of certain areas. Lacing the trees with some sort of contraptions.

-- Shadiness taking place at the construction site, near a clear area behind some stacked wooden boards, with Dillon using a small wielding utensil to seal his ankle monitor around another person's ankle. Handing this person a wad of cash as he continues to secure the monitor.

-- Time passing by, the sun in the sky contributing to different shadows with every other hour.

-- The femme and light-haired robbers, still masked, stealing from another place, this time a local wine store. They run out, and jump back into their van.

Parole Officer pulling up in his vehicle to Dillon's apartment, lets Dillon out, Dillon going inside of the apartment, and the parole officer standing guard outside of the apartment.

Another car pulling up to the apartment complex, and an angry-looking dark-haired man getting out. He grins at the officer, and then proceeds to head to the back of the building.

AS AT THE BACK OF DILLON'S APARTMENT

-- Dillon stands outside, by the open window, seemingly waiting for someone. Angry-looking dark-haired man approaches Dillon, Dillon putting on shades and a hat as he walks away from the apartment, and angry-looking dark-haired man climbing through the bathroom window to take Dillon's place, the ankle monitor he has on showing itself briefly as his legs enter in over the window pane.

-- More time passing by with the way of the sun beginning to set.

-- Back at the mansion, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Felix, Nathan, Haley, and Valentine finish their trap work. Lucas takes in one deep breath.

LUCAS' HAND as he uses a rock to hammer one sharp wooden spike into the ground!

**END OF MONTAGE – BACK TO SCENE**

Lucas leads his gang through the area of the woods they have deemed safe.

LUCAS: We haven't gotten far, so don't think we're out of harm's way just yet, not because of a few staged tricks.

PEYTON: Wouldn't consider it.

FELIX: You sure that crap will work anyway?

NATHAN: It's not like you got any better ideas, Felix.

LUCAS: Guys.

Suddenly --

DILLON: (on the intercom) All day through the woods, and you all still haven't made it out of here? Tsk. Tsk.

Lucas and his friends stopping in pure alarm, caught off guard by the sound of Dillon's amplified voice even reaching them from the outside.

BROOKE: An intercom? Okay, the fact that we can still hear him really does hit home the pain that we haven't gotten far.

HALEY: Well, I guess there's no asking how he knows we're still out here.

NATHAN: All the traps he has set up. Bastard knows we have to take our time or end up dead.

LUCAS: Too many traps to even make it from this mansion within a day. It'll take at least three days from what I figure at trying to make it out this way.

FELIX: We can't go back inside.

VALENTINE: Why not? Inside might be safer.

LUCAS: I'm not suggesting that we go back inside.

BROOKE: How do we know he hasn't got cameras set up out here as well?

LUCAS: Relax. Certainly not the best place to set up spy cameras. Certain wires would be needed. I would have spotted them by now, okay? And even high-tech small thumb-sized cameras would be tricky to set up out here. Besides, I'm pretty sure he hasn't got the money for the small thumb-sized cameras regardless. The would-be nifty cameras in the mansion are easier to steal. Most were already there, and with his knowledge, easier to fix.

PEYTON: So what's our plan, if the current one fails? It's not that I don't believe in our determination… Just being realistic.

NATHAN: God. This is the craziest day of my life.

DILLON: (on the intercom) I do hope no one got hurt by little toys I tend to leave around out there.

NATHAN: The creep.

DILLON: (on the intercom) It's just that I get carried away sometimes. But, really, I want to make it up to all of you, and tell you why you're all here.

BROOKE: We already know the reason to that, you ass. Blah, blah, blah, you want revenge. Heard the story.

DILLON: (on the intercom) Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking you're all here because I want to kill you. Well, yes, that is a reason, sure. But it's not the reason I'm able to be here today. No, the reason I am able to have the freedom to carry out my dastardly deeds on you all as I please…is, well…all due to one man…Mr. Lucas Scott.

Peyton looking to Lucas, her mouth agape.

Brooke, Nathan, Haley, Felix, Valentine all turning to Lucas, their faces ones of pure horror, shock and disbelief.

Lucas staring right back at them with sorrow in his eyes.

DILLON: (on the intercom) After all, he is the one who set me free.

**END OF ACT 2**


	17. ACT 3, PART 16

**ACT 3**

Lucas' gang does not seem to grasp the honesty of the moment; denial fits them perfectly.

**NATHAN:** It's not true. There has to be some sort of spin to it.

**HALEY:** A definite spin.

**DILLON:** (on the intercom, continued) Where are my manners? I already introduced myself to Ms. Davis. Everyone calls me Dillon Fortune, people. I don't see why you others shouldn't know. I feel that this experience has bonded us all.

**BROOKE:** Lucas?

Lucas with a conflicted expression, and Felix not liking it one bit.

**FELIX:** He's not saying anything?

**VALENTINE:** Why don't you say it's a lie, Leather?

Lucas just stares at them all. Peyton watching with her mouth now firmly set.

**PEYTON:** Dillon.

Lucas furrows his brows at her.

Peyton continuing.

**PEYTON:** Back in the mansion, when the rest of us said "that guy"…you called him Dillon.

**HALEY:** What?

**PEYTON:** (still looking at Lucas) Back in the mansion. I don't know why I didn't notice it until now. But you called him Dillon. My God, Lucas, you already knew who he was, didn't you? You know…. It's not a lie.

**DILLON:** (on the intercom) I assume you're all still alive out there, more so by having Scott with you. Complicated times… You want to tell them, Scott? Or should I?

Lucas' shocked gang still gazing at him, Lucas goes over to the backpack in the center of the ground, and pulls out a broken surveillance camera. He picks it up and simply stares at it.

AS

**FLASHBACK – LACE JAIL – A DIM-LIT OFFICE – FIVE YEARS AGO**

A video camera is put down on the desk.

**WARDEN:** You know, the kid has some weird penchant for video taping his life.

A figure moves out of the shadows and into the light; it's Lucas

**LUCAS:** That may be, but it doesn't stop the fact that he's innocent.

**WARDEN:** How can you be so sure?

**LUCAS:** You said so yourself, this Kid Dillon, he's a straight-A student, clean record, probably known for helping little old ladies across the street.

**WARDEN:** Yeah, the same can be said about certain serial killers pre-serial kill.

**LUCAS:** Look, I killed this kid's brother in cold blood. Nothing can make up for that. You know it -- and I know it. And I thank you for your loyalty, even knowing this secret as few others do. I mean, Ricky was an evil bastard, he was, but that didn't give me the right to play judge, jury and executioner. Not only that, but by killing him, I left a 17-year-old kid alone in this world, without any other family. His mother died that same year of a heart attack months before Ricky's death.

**WARDEN:** Maybe you're letting your guilt get the best of you, and you feel you have to make it up to this kid.

**LUCAS:** Maybe. But I've also researched Dillon's story over and over again. Kids at his high school say he was offered alcoholic beverages countless times by the boys on his football team at games, and on campus, and any time an authority figure wasn't looking, and Dillon always refused. He never took a drink. Yet at this party, at some girl's house he suddenly would? I don't buy that this night would be so different than the others, that it would lead Dillon to be so careless.

**WARDEN:** Dillon says that he was handed some punch. "And then a little more"…as he puts it anyway, when his jock buddies challenged him to a speed-drinking contest. Now I don't know how clueless you have to be to maybe figure in that the drinks have probably been spiked, but he said he felt as though he had a headache, so he wanted to go home. The thirteen-year-old boy attending the party, the one who admired these jocks, asked for a ride, and since this boy lived not too far away, Dillon decided to drive him home as well.

**LUCAS:** Exactly. While on the road, and not knowing that he was out-of-his mind drunk, Dillon suddenly makes a wrong turn, crashes into a pole of some building, the teenage boy goes flying from the convertible, wasn't wearing a seatbelt, as that explains the throw, head slams into the cement on impact, he dies --

**WARDEN:** And Dillon is charged with manslaughter.

**LUCAS:** Except that it wasn't manslaughter. The opposing side, these detractors would have us believe that Dillon knowingly got drunk, and while drunk, and against his better judgment, decided to drive this thirteen-year-old boy home, which resulted in the boy losing his life. The parents of this boy…they're acting out of grief and rage, to have pressed these manslaughter charges.

**WARDEN:** And wouldn't you, if it were your son? All they know is that a 17-year-old boy drove their 13-year-old son home while drunk, when everybody knows, Scott, it's against the goddamn law to goddamn drink and drive.

**LUCAS:** Dillon didn't know he was drunk. Come on, it's not that hard to fathom. Think about the first time you got drunk, back in your college years as you told me, you had never felt anything like it before. How was Dillon supposed to know that he was drunk, if he didn't know what being drunk felt like? I think it's entirely plausible that all he knew was that his head was hurting like hell, and that he wanted to get home. A boy who admired him asked for a ride, and he didn't see any problem in driving that boy home with what he deemed as a headache. I think given the fact that Dillon never drank a beer a day in his life before that night, had some jealous teammates on his football team who envied his star title…as others have attested to, and since it's quite shady that peer pressure would suddenly get to him this time, it's pretty safe to say what happened.

**WARDEN:** You think the football jocks on his team spiked his punch for a few laughs.

**LUCAS:** It makes the most sense, given Dillon's background, doesn't it? Warden, it's not looking good for Dillon. People just aren't buying his story. He could get sent away for twenty years due to voluntary manslaughter, when you and I both know he's innocent. Voluntary manslaughter is what the parents of this young boy are pushing for, as if even if Dillon had knowingly gotten drunk and proceeded to drive home that night knowing he was drunk, he intended for that young boy to die. That's quite overboard of these parents to claim. With most drive-and-drunk accidents, people getting hurt was never the intention. It's just something tragic that happens. Yet these parents are acting as if Dillon intended this. Because of some angst-filled journal found in Dillon's locker about suicide, they've thrown out some bogus accusation that Dillon was suicidal and planned on taking his life that night, that their son got in Dillon's way when he asked for a ride, and so Dillon decided to take both of their lives while he was at it. But if that were the case of this boy interfering, then why wouldn't Dillon just tell the boy he couldn't drive him home, then carry out his plan? The journal found in Dillon's locker is just a compilation of thoughts on the subject of suicide, among other things, such as the evils of man, and gun obsession, not some "Goodbye, loved ones" type of thing. All I'm asking is that you pull a few strings, see to it that Dillon's sentence, or charge is reduced.

**WARDEN:** Even If I do what you ask, and he's still sentenced, he'll still have to serve some time, and will definitely have it tough in prison.

**LUCAS:** Then you have to do everything in your power to see to it that he's paroled early.

**WARDEN:** There's no way that he can get both, a reduced sentence and paroled within two to three years. Can you imagine how the parents of that little boy will feel? They will feel cheated.

**LUCAS:** That's what a reduced manslaughter conviction is all about when changed to involuntary manslaughter -- about four or five years. You know that. I don't care what you have to do to make it happen. You owe me. And I owe this kid. But I assure you that it's not what this is all about. Ricky didn't get a second chance to turn his life around before it was too late. It's not too late for Dillon.

**DILLON: **(voice-over) I had seen the warden visit Lace Jail a few times while there awaiting my fate. And each and every time, I found a way to climb through those damn air ducts, and figure out why in the hell the bastard was even there in the first place. That night I overheard Scott -- was no different.

**AS IN DILLON'S CELL**

Dillon talks to an inmate named JAIL BIRD.

**JAIL BIRD:** So I saw the warden from Petulum Prison here again.

**DILLON:** Is that so?

Dillon turns to the bars in front of him and smiles.

**AS BACK IN THE DIM-LIT OFFICE:**

**WARDEN: **Here's something you might not have pondered. What happens when he finds out you killed Ricky?

**LUCAS:** What is he going to do? Try and kill me? Dillon's a good kid. He knows the awful things his brother was capable of. As far as the public and media knows, I acted in self defense.

**WARDEN:** I can maybe lessen his sentence, but there's no way he's going to avoid prison-time. If he finds out about Ricky's death within prison walls, he could go berserk. Might even become suicidal as some people already think he is.

**LUCAS: **We'll have to make sure that he doesn't find out. Look at the facts: He still doesn't know. The rest of the public doesn't even know Ricky had a brother. And some of the inmates in Petulum Prison, they have contact with his brother's gang on the outside, but they won't be the ones to tell this kid of Ricky's death.

**WARDEN:** Why's that?

**IN A VENT**

17-year-old Dillon Fortune crawls along.

**DILLON:** (voice over) I didn't know who they were talking about then. If I had overheard them a few seconds earlier, I have no doubt I would have. And, yeah, I knew Ricky was into some pretty sketchy things. I knew he had friends that looked more like round-the-corner thugs, I knew those thugs, but I never knew how far into those sketchy things Ricky was. More than that…I never figured I could go a month, let alone years…without being told of my brother's demise.

Dillon halts at a see-through gated opening in the vent in which allows him to spy down on 23-year-old Lucas Scott talking with the warden.

**AS BACK IN THE DIM-LIT OFFICE**

**LUCAS:** Well, the ones who hated his brother still hate him even now that he's dead. They won't want to give this kid the advantage of calling the shots from prison. With his brother dead, it leaves no one well-respected enough within the gang to lead that gang as prominently. It leaves one less feuding gang for the rivals. Without any viable leader to lead this gang, they crumble. And that would all change, if this boy ever took over, which he would be forced to do by street code. He would be able to give out orders from within the bars. His brother's rivals don't want that. They want this empire destroyed. And they fear by informing the next of kin to their long-time enemy, that won't happen. It's not that easy for any other person to just take over a gang. They have to be well-respected first. And who better than the man's brother? His number one players died in the days he took up feud against me. Being the brother of a Crime Lord, you pretty much get instant respect.

**WARDEN:** And the ones who loved him?

**LUCAS:** Same reason. Why tell someone they are the new leader of your business, when you can just as easily try and be leader yourself? I'm sure no one expected the bastard's little brother to be jailed around the same time they would be without needed guidance, and they probably figure they can do better… Respect or no respect. When I came in contact with this gang those few times, I didn't get the-honoring-a-dead man's wishes vibe.

Warden pulls out a bottle of wine from the desk in front of him.

Lucas raises an eyebrow.

**LUCAS:** You're pretty set up here, aren't you? Everywhere? Able to meet here when this isn't even your place to officiate.

**WARDEN:** That's how it is when you have this much power. Power that I'm willing to use to help you.

Warden pours a glass of wine for himself and for Lucas.

**WARDEN:** I had business with some friends here today… I didn't see why I couldn't ask you to meet here as well.

Lucas picking up the glass issued to him.

**LUCAS:** Not help me. I took the life of someone's brother. It wasn't in the most just of ways. Now I have a chance to give back.

Warden pours more liquor for Lucas.

**WARDEN:** Over a glass of wine, my boy. All over a glass of wine.

They drink.

**AS BACK IN THE VENT**

Dillon watches them leave the office. He then crawls back down the way in which he approached.

**BACK IN THE DIM-LIT OFFICE**

Lucas comes back inside, grabs the video camera, and heads for the door.

**END OF FLASHBACK- AS BACK TO PRESENT DAY - AT THE MANSION**

Lucas continues to stare down at the surveillance camera he's holding.

Peyton, Brooke, Nathan, Haley, Valentine, and Felix all watching him.

Dillon talks.

**DILLON:** (over the intercom) Yes…I didn't know who they were talking about then, but I sure as hell knew once I got paroled from prison, now didn't I? The paper read: Hero and Rookie Lucas Eugene Scott...Who Was Promoted To Lieutenant Practically Over Night... Responsible For Slaying Of Ricky Langs. And I just knew it all…especially when I saw the very person who had killed my brother as someone I remembered from the jail that day back in his talk with the warden.

Dillon's voice becomes angry.

DILLON: (over the intercom) Not in the most just of ways, you said that day, Scott?

Lucas stands.

**DILLON:** (over the intercom) Could that mean murder? I think it means murder. It's what some of those left-overs waste buckets in Ricky's gang claim anyway. And given your oh-so-desperate need to give something back to me, I'd say it's the truth. Of course, your buddies out there, they already know what you did to my brother. They were all a part of it. You all were.

Nathan and Haley looking down at Dillon's words.

Peyton still looking at Lucas.

Brooke folding her arms.

Valentine throwing her cigarette to the ground and stomping on it.

Felix seemingly in deep thought about what Dillon is saying.

**DILLON:** (on the intercom) I guess it's true that media and majority of the public didn't know I was Ricky's brother, not with after distancing myself from him with a simple last name, I went through even greater lengths in changing my identity completely with before the car accident and being imprisoned. High school…oh, let's see. I had two. The kids at my first high school thought Ricky was my uncle. That's what I told them anyway, considering I always felt that Ricky would bring me down someday. I enrolled at another high school when the name change happened, Ricky wasn't around, my mother had just killed over, but not before I had emancipated myself as an adult, and so it all fit in perfectly. New school; clean slate. New football team. If the cops wanted to know which high school I attended before, then the papers would say something entirely different than the truth.

Dillon laughs.

A pause.

His voice then becomes serious again.

**DILLON: **(on the intercom) And then I think of my brother. I wasn't even told he was dead. But something else does stick out to me in the moment. See, back behind those bars, a few officials were really against letting me go the day of parole, and I just had this aching feeling that there was more to it than just the fact that I had beaten down a few inmates minutes before. There was more fear in their eyes than usual. I guess it's easy to say that they were the few idiots of warden's lackies who indeed did know who I was. But against their better judgment, they let me out anyway. So, really, you should all be thanking Lucas for the difficult situation you are all in now. If it wasn't for his disgusting guilt of wanting to make things up to me, then I wouldn't be free to chase you bastards down now.

Peyton's anger visibly consumes her. She lets it all out on Lucas.

**PEYTON:** How could you let the brother of that sociopath have the opportunity to hurt us like this? Did you not think of Dusty? What this Dillon Fortune asshole could have done to him, if he'd gotten the chance? Yeah, Dillon gave you something back by warning you to get Dusty the hell away from this, but damn it, Lucas, it doesn't change the fact that you put all of us at risk, all because of your belief in a lowlife. My God, Lucas! You had no way of knowing he wouldn't hurt Dusty.

**LUCAS:** Peyton…they were going to send this innocent kid away for 20 years. This kid I robbed of a brother. I…I honestly didn't think he was dangerous.

**PEYTON:** He's the brother of a maniac! How could you not have thought of that possibility?! The warden told you it might happen, and you just brushed it off!

**LUCAS:** Because Dillon wasn't like that.

**PEYTON:** No, you thought he wasn't like that. But even good people can feel the need to avenge their loved ones deaths, if they feel that death was unjust. And death itself is hard to justify on its own.

**LUCAS:** Ricky having taught Dillon all the craziness he knows, the trap expertise, the fighting techniques, the weaponary skills…it's not something that one would have thought any seventeen-year-old would know

**PEYTON:** For Dusty, Lucas…you should have thought about it.

**FELIX:** We're all out here fighting for our lives because of you.

Nathan frowns. He walks up to Lucas, his limp barely noticeable at that moment, gives Lucas a determined stare, then lays a solid wallop to Lucas' face, Lucas going to the ground, rubbing at his bruised jaw.

**NATHAN: **I've got kids. Me and Haley have kids waiting for us. Kids that we may never see again…because of you!

Haley hugs Nathan.

Valentine just watches the pain in everyone's eyes.

Brooke stating her own thoughts to Lucas.

**BROOKE: **There are days when I think maybe Mouth would have understood what you did, Lucas…killing Ricky like that…but then I think about the person Mouth was…and I don't see the understanding anymore.

**LUCAS: **You were all there. You know what it was like.

**FELIX:** I wasn't.

**LUCAS: **Yeah, and neither was Valentine and even she knows.

**BROOKE:** Of course we know. We were just as angry at what happened to Mouth as anyone else.

**LUCAS: **I don't know if we'd be better off had I never taken Ricky's life.

**NATHAN:** This isn't about that, man. Sure, you can say if you'd never ended that Ricky dirt, then we'd never have to worry about his psycho brother coming after us. But if you'd never gotten mixed up in his psycho's brother life, we'd never have to worry about this now, at this moment. If you'd just told us Ricky had a brother once you found out, then maybe we could have prepared ourselves for the day of Dillon's release, which had a good chance of being fifteen years from now, if it weren't for you. The police department would have been more aware, had they known. But you didn't do that.

**DILLON:** (on the intercom) Scott was right about three things when he was speaking of me. I was never suicidal, I didn't purposely drink myself into oblivion, and I never intended to hurt that boy. But all of this doesn't really matter anyway. I'm not too happy, I don't have the girl I love with me -- and, yeah, that goes for you too, Brooke.

Brooke scoffs at his words.

**DILLON: **(over the intercom) And my health is a little off these days. Guess that's something we have in common, eh, Scott? That HCM-thing you were telling the warden about still plaguing you? Of course it is. I don't know how both you and I managed to keep that little detail out when we were telling my story to these friends of yours, but I just thought I'd mention it. You know, since you seemed to hint that you didn't want anyone to know and all, this is the time that I felt I should say something.

Peyton's eyes lock on Lucas with disgust.

**PEYTON:** You said Dan switched your test results. You even brought me a report of your health from the doctor's office proving that you were okay.

Peyton's jaw in line with her anger.

**PEYTON:** Lying to me all these years?

Her tears flowing thick.

**PEYTON:** Secrets and lies… Now I know why, since our marriage, I would feel a twinge of deception every time you told me everything was okay.

Lucas gets up, trying to approach her.

**PEYTON: **I can't do this.

She walks ahead.

Lucas calling after.

**LUCAS:** Peyton, wait! It's not safe!

Valentine nodding to Lucas.

**VALENTINE:** I got her.

Valentine going after Peyton.

Haley giving Lucas a sympathetic look.

**HALEY: **I…

She then joins Peyton's side.

Brooke running her fingers through her hair in frustration, hesitant on what she should do next, but then follows along with the other women.

Felix following as well.

**DILLON:** (on the intercom) I'm done with this amplified voice-mess. I'll be seeing you all soon enough.

Only Nathan and Lucas left facing each other.

**NATHAN:** What the hell is wrong with you?

Lucas tries to go off in the direction of the others, Nathan stops him.

**NATHAN:** No, you caused enough trouble as it is. Just stay the hell away from us.

**LUCAS: **What, Nathan? So now you all want to abandon me now? You think you can make it through this place and out alive all by yourselves?

Nathan moves a breath's away from Lucas' face.

**NATHAN:** What I know is that if you try to follow us right now, you and I are going to be in a fist match that I guarantee you want no part of. Crippled Nathan won't even be a factor.

And with those words, Nathan semi-limps away, leaving Lucas to stare after him.


	18. PART 17

**ABOUT HALF A MILE AWAY FROM WHERE THEY LEFT – NIGHT TIME **

Nathan, Peyton, Haley, Brooke, Felix, and Valentine all sit around a more weeded area.

Two flashlights, turned on, placed in the center of their circle.

FELIX: Won't the light make it easier for those psychos to find us?

NATHAN: If they want to find us, they'll find us anyway.

Peyton looks to Nathan.

PEYTON: What did you say Lucas was doing?

Nathan hesitates a moment before telling his lie.

NATHAN: He said he had to get a few things ready before joining us.

PEYTON: Well, that was twenty minutes ago. What's taking him so long?

Nathan snipes.

NATHAN: Lucas is the one who got us into this mess. He obviously didn't care what would happen to us, so why should we care what happens to him?!

Peyton and the others get a worried face as they glare at Nathan.

HALEY: Wait, what did you say to him, Nathan?

Nathan stubborn at first in not answering. His eyes dart from Haley to Brooke, from Brooke to Felix, and from Felix to Peyton, and Peyton is where he eventually surrenders.

NATHAN: I told him not to follows us.

PEYTON: Nathan!

NATHAN: I was just so pissed at him, alright. I'm still pissed.

PEYTON: He could be in danger.

BROOKE: Or worse.

HALEY: Nathan, how cold you?

FELIX: (sarcastic) Good going.

NATHAN: (shrugging) It's Lucas. He's fine.

Peyton gets up.

PEYTON: I gotta find him.

Valentine grabs Peyton by the arm.

VALENTINE: Can't let you do that.

PEYTON: Lucas is out there!

Nathan trying to calm her fears.

NATHAN: He's fine, Peyton. Why do you think I told him not to follow us? I knew you needed some time to cool off. We all did, and I'm sure we still do, but you know that I wouldn't wish Lucas to his grave. I'm angry as hell at him, but I love the jerk. And, sure, he's gotten us this far already, but he is also the one who fouled up by giving this mess even more of an opportunity to happen in the first place, so in that moment I told him to back off. Yeah, I thought we'd be better off without him while he finds his own damn way out, but did I honestly think he'd listen to me and stay away? No. But I'm sure that he's fine, and he wouldn't just abandon you.

PEYTON: Then where is he?

Nathan bends his head down.

PEYTON: Damn it, Nathan. I know that he wouldn't just up and leave me or us either. Why do you think I'm asking where the hell he is?

Brooke gets up and walks to Peyton.

BROOKE: Peyton --

PEYTON: No, Brooke. Lucas could be out there dying somewhere, all because Nathan felt we needed a break in the way that he deemed.

Haley furrows her brow.

HALEY: Peyton, I'm worried too, but we can't go assuming the worse.

PEYTON: How can we not in a place like this?

VALENTINE: We're only half a mile from where we left Lucas. It wouldn't be that difficult for him to find us.

PEYTON: Exactly. What if he went back into the mansion, got some new idea he felt could work, because the break he was giving us fed him with more elaborate thoughts during his boredom? We all know how Lucas is. If he'd been with us, we could have at least tried to talk him out of any crazy thing he was thinking of, but now --

VALENTINE -- If Leather isn't where we left him, then it's because he knows what he's doing. But I can guarantee that dead he is not. And I must say that even if he was, I couldn't let you go out there looking for him alone. Why? Because I know that's not what he'd want. He wants you safe. All of you safe, and that means not roaming this place during night time while still being vulnerable to its lethal traps. It means sticking with the only other person who knows this place as well as Leather -- Me.

Peyton stares at Valentine with searching eyes.

Valentine placing her hands on Peyton's shoulders.

VALENTINE: Now you believe me when I say that your man is doing okay, hun. He is. Trust me. Trust what your gut is telling you.

Peyton slowly backs away from Valentine, and goes to stand by a tree as she continues to brood.

Brooke sighs.

BROOKE: I need some space.

Valentine gives Brooke a glance that warns.

BROOKE: Don't worry. I'm going right over there, to that slope behind the bushes. See? You know, the part of the area you deemed safe?

Valentine nods, giving Brooke her approval. Brooke leaving to her well-needed

sanctuary.

Haley leans into Nathan's chest as he wraps his arms around her.

HALEY: I wish we could all just wake up and this all be a nightmare.

NATHAN: But then how do you explain us all having the same nightmare?

HALEY: Honestly, I wouldn't care to explain.

Nathan holds her tighter.

NATHAN: Me neither.

**AS AT EVANGELINE'S HOUSE - EVANGELINE'S ROOM **

She brushes her hair in the mirror.

Then sighs.

EVANGELINE: (raising her voice) Hey, Price, how did you like that pizza for dinner?

She puts down the brush.

Then goes out into --

**THE HALLWAY **

-- humming a tune to herself.

EVANGELINE: Price, honey?

She stops outside of Price's room, opening the door as she walks --

**INSIDE **

-- and sees Price watching a video tape of her and Dillon in their earlier years playing a game of cards with Valentine and Ricky.

She gasps.

EVANGELINE: Where did you get this?

Price snaps out his trance, turning to her.

PRICE: From your room a day ago.

Evangeline angrily marches over to Price.

EVANGELINE: Turn it off!

PRICE: But, mom --

EVANGELINE: I said...

Evangeline snatches up the remote control and cuts off the television, along with the tape. She goes and ejects the tape, as she snatches that up as well.

EVANGELINE: -- Off. How many more tapes of these do you have in here? How many?!

PRICE: Just that one, I swear.

Price is perplexed at the anger on his mother's face and tone in her voice.

PRICE: What did I do wrong?

EVANGELINE: You took something of mine that doesn't belong to you. Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?

PRICE: I'm sorry. I won't do it again.

Evangeline scoffs.

EVANGELINE: I guess that's what I get for letting a five-year-old have a V.C.R, DVD player and other stuff that most five-year-olds have no business having in their rooms.

She sits down onto his bed.

EVANGELINE: So you had this ever since yesterday? What, since yesterday night?

Price nods.

EVANGELINE: Thank God it isn't one of the more intimate tapes.

It's quiet for a few moments, then Price breaks that silence.

PRICE: Who are those guys on that tape, mom? The two who kinda look alike? I saw aunt Val on there, but the other two --

Suddenly there is a ring in the form of the doorbell.

Evangeline breathing a sigh of relief as to something having saved her from answering her son's questions of the moment.

EVANGELINE: I gotta go answer the door real quick, okay, honey? Stay here.

She gets up and heads out of Price's room –

INTO

**THE LIVINGROOM **

-- where she opens the front door…

…silence…crickets chirping.

No one is there.

Evangeline, peeping her head out, looks from side to side -- front yard empty.

EVANGELINE: What the hell?

She then frowns to herself as she moves to close the door --

WHOP!

A hand manages to slam in between the door, coming from the opposite end, Evangeline gasps as she stumbles back.

The figure coming in through the door to shut it as the figure then looms over a shocked Evangeline who has fallen to the floor.

She sees him, but her mind at first refuses to believe it.

EVANGELINE: Dillon?

Dillon reaches down to pull Evangeline to her feet.

He then flashes a dangerous smirk her way.

DILLON: Miss me?

Evangeline's mouth still agape.

EVANGELINE: How did --

DILLON: I escape prison?

Dillon walks over to the kitchen in which intersects with the living room.

He opens the refrigerator, roaming through it.

DILLON: I got paroled two days ago. And I gotta tell you…it was damn tricky getting rid of that pesky ankle monitor, but someone else is wearing it for me for a while anyway, so no worries there at the moment.

Dillon snacking on a piece of cheese that he's gotten from the fridge right before closing it back.

DILLON: You know, Vange, I'm sort of hurt that you haven't been checking up on me. Didn't check to see if I'd be getting out earlier than what was expected. That you never did.

Evangeline now has a face of more worry than shock. She views Dillon pour a glass of wine by the selection of wine bottles near the cabinet. He takes a gulp.

DILLON: That's good. Year of 1972, is it?

Then he turns his gaze in full back to her.

DILLON: But I really ought to thank you for not telling the cops or whoever else that Ricky has a brother. You know, when Ricky's face was plastered all over the news five years ago. Your silence really helped me to carry out what things I have going on these days.

Evangeline swallows hard on her spit, her hands at her chest as her voice seems to crack with this next question.

EVANGELINE: And what things might those be?

Dillon quickly waltzes right over to her, Evangeline hurriedly picking up a baseball bat near the wall behind her, and trying to hold it at Dillon, but Dillon grabbing the bat before she can, along with her wrist.

DILLON: Tsk. Tsk. You don't honestly think that I'd try to hurt you, do you? My God, Vange, I went to prison for voluntarily manslaughter, not battering a woman to death.

He stares her in the eyes.

DILLON: What happened to you that you would think I'd ever hurt you? Why didn't you visit me while I was in prison?

Evangeline trying to divert her eyes away, Dillon moving his head and catching her gaze, refusing to let her.

DILLON: Didn't you ever love me?

She takes in a deep breath, then exhales.

EVANGELINE: Two years ago, I heard stories about you…from Goon…how you'd hurt people in prison.

DILLON: Well, yeah, because they'd try to hurt me. I had to do what I had to do in order to survive.

He lets go of her wrist.

DILON: When was the last time you talked to Goon anyway?

EVANGELINE: Two years ago, like I said.

DILLON: Well, I would say that explains why you didn't know about my parole, but his telling you of my difficulties in prison shouldn't have kept you from visiting me. What's the real reason you didn't come by?

Dillon looks down at the baseball bat in his hand.

DILLON: Wait a second, since when did you become a baseball fan?

He then looks across the rest of the floor, where he sees a baseball mitt, a toy truck, and a few toy action figures lying around.

Dillon's eyes jet to Evangeline's, the message of what he is thinking made perfectly clear. He marches into

**THE HALLWAY **

Evangeline calling after him.

EVANGELINE: No, Dillon, wait, let me explain.

Dillon opening up two doors on his way down the hall, seeing no one in them…until he finally opens the last door of the hallway's side, and there he is…a young dark-haired boy, owner of all the sports gear in the house…Price Daniels.

**INSIDE PRICE'S ROOM **

Price gazes at the tall dark-haired man standing in his doorway.

PRICE: Hey, you're one of the guys I saw on mom's video tape.

Dillon is flabbergasted. He slowly moves to the center of the room to look the boy over even more.

Evangeline coming in behind Dillon, tears in her eyes.

Dillon frowns somewhat.

DILLON: What have you done, woman?

He turns to Evangeline, his eyes questioning before he even asks.

DILLON: Is he… Is he?

Evangeline looking away at his words, Dillon taking that as his answer that the young boy in front of him is his son.

Dillon jets right back around at Price.

DILLON: Hey, there, little man.

He moves to Price, kneeling down in front of him, his eyes taking in all of the boy's features.

Price smirking.

PRICE: Are you one of mom's friends?

Unable to control his emotions any longer within the moment, Dillon throws his arms around Price, hugging him tightly as he tears up.

DILLON: What a strong-looking boy… My boy.

Evangeline watching as her eyes continue to water as well.

**AS BACK AT ****VALENTINE** **MANSION**** - THE BACKYARD **

Peyton sits beside a tree, curled up with worry.

Valentine checking over the bullets to her gun.

And Nathan and Haley wrapped snugly in each other's arms.

**AS BEHIND THE BUSHES, AT A SLOPE **

Brooke sits by herself. Felix approaches her.

BROOKE: Oh, jeez, just leave me alone, Felix.

He ignores her words, and instead sits right beside her.

FELIX: I know what's wrong with us.

Brooke looks annoyed, and yet interested in his meaning at the same time.

BROOKE: What?

FELIX: The reason we fight so much -- the reason we touch each other without any passion -- the reason I never tell you that I love you.

BROOKE: Felix…

FELIX: No, just listen, alright?

His eyes glimmer in the partial moonlight that shines down on them through the trees, Brooke admiring his handsome face in what seems like forever since she has.

FELIX: We're both scared. For five years now, we've been scared to let each other totally in. When we first got back together, Brooke, I kept you at a distance…and I still have…because I've been so scared to let myself enjoy you, to let myself enjoy the way that you smile at any of your silly mistakes, how your dimples further define your face when you do, how sometimes you get angry over the tiniest things, only to either apologize right afterwards for your anger…or act as though it never happened in the first place…the way that you brush your hair in the morning with the same routine of flipping it back twice before going off to work… All of that, I've been afraid to let myself enjoy about you, because we'd ended so badly before. I'd given you me completely then…and it hurt like hell to lose you, so I felt that if I was going to ever lose you again, it'd at least hurt less the next time, if I didn't put as much emotion into it. But what I didn't realize is how badly I would be hurting us. I mean, by shutting you out emotionally, not telling you how much I love you, not giving you my all, and it was mostly because I thought you'd never love me as much as you loved Mouth, so I figured what was the point? All of that has been hurting us. And I'm sorry, Brooke. I am. You didn't deserve how unfair I've been to you over the years -- I just wish that I could take it all back. All of that crud back.

Felix angrily bends his head down in despair.

FELIX: Damn it. All this craziness with Dillon and out here -- why does it sometimes have to take extremes to make people realize what a loser they've been?

Brooke lifting his face back up to hers, the moisture at her eyes showcasing that his words are not without emotional response.

BROOKE: You mentioned "we." And you're right, Felix. It wasn't just you. It isn't just you. I've shut you out all this time too.

Brooke sniffles, her voice giving away the reality of how difficult this moment is to admit.

BROOKE: I just kept thinking that -- that if I let myself love you, I mean really love you, then how could I handle another guy I was romantically involved with having died on me? What shape would my heart be in then? And it wasn't just about me. What about you? While you're still alive, do I even have enough love to give you after what I went through with Mouth? If I don't, how fair is that to you? It's like I felt that it was better not to try to open up to you any more than what you were giving me, because then at least I wouldn't feel like I was betraying Mouth, or betraying you… Not if I couldn't be the love you needed.

She takes Felix's hands into hers.

BROOKE: I'm sorry, Felix…for it all. I've been awful.

Felix brings up her hand to cup his face. He then places a soft kiss to her palm.

FELIX: I want to start over…

He pauses…then continues.

FELIX: With you… I want to start over with you, Brooke. Do you think that we can? Do you think that it's possible at all?

**AS BACK AT EVANGELINE'S HOUSE – IN THE LIVINGROOM **

Dillon and Evangeline argue with each other.

EVANGELINE: We can start over.

DILLON: What, so you can keep me in the dark some more? Why didn't you tell me about the little boy in the other room?!

EVANGELINE: It's complicated.

DILLON: Complicated?!

**AS IN PRICE'S ROOM **

Price listen against the door as his mom argues with the man on the other end.

He then quickly goes to his V.C.R and pops back in the video tape in which his mother warned him against.

ON THE TELEVISION

Ricky teaches Young Dillon the art of Hollywood makeup, placing a fake mustache onto one of his lackies, then picking up tan liquid foundation in which to dab across the man's face.

RICKY: Listen up, Dill. This is the magic of impersonation.

**AS BACK IN THE LIVINGROOM **

Evangeline tries to calm down the Dillon of today.

EVANGELINE: Please try to understand. Give me time to explain.

DILLON: What's the boy's name?

EVANGELINE: Price.

DILLON: Price Daniels, huh? I suppose having his last name be Fortune would have put more eyes on you.

Evangeline tries to move toward Dillon, Dillon backs away.

DILLON: So Goon knew about this? He knew?

EVANGELINE: He wasn't allowed to have contact with you while you were in prison. Why do you think I didn't come by? Nobody who knew you was allowed. All sorts of craziness was carried out in order to keep you from finding out about Ricky's death, which included no one you're familiar with contacting you.

DILLON: No one knew who you were. You could have made up some lie about why you were there to visit me.

EVANGELINE: Anyone there to visit you wouldn't have made it by. Don't you think they thought of any lies someone might think of to get word to you? If I'm there to visit you, then it means I know you…unless I'm your goddamn lawyer, or it were possible, your priest.

DILLON: I've been with Goon for two days since I was released from prison and he still didn't tell me about Price!

EVANGELINE: Keep your voice down.

DILLON: No, I've had enough of this. I've got things to do.

Dillon turns away, heading for the door, Evangeline scurrying behind him, pulling at his arm, trying to keep him from going.

EVANGELINE: You can't leave me again! You can't leave us.

She moves in front of Dillon's, placing a hand to his cheek, as he stops before her, tears streaming down her face.

EVANGELINE: I just got you back.

Dillon stone cold in his expression.

DILLON: I never left you the first time.

He shrugs her off of him, and exits through the front door.

Evangeline calling after him.

EVANGELINE: Dillon!

She immediately turns back to her living room.

EVANGELINE: Price!

**AS IN PRICE'S ROOM **

Price hears his mother scream his name.

He quickly ejects the tape from the V.C.R., placing it back down onto the bed.

Evangeline bursts in through the door, keys in her hands.

EVANGELINE: Come on.

She rushes to her son, grabbing his shoes from the floor, then his hand.

EVANGELINE: We've gotta go.

PRICE: Where?

EVANGELINE: After the stubborn-headed man who just fled out of our house.

CUT TO:

**THE ROAD – AN HOUR AND SOME MINUTES LATER **

Two vehicles, one of those vehicles belonging to Evangeline as she smartly trails behind in the shadows the other car, pressuring on a little only after every turn made by the target she's following, her headlights turned off.

**AS INSIDE EVANGELINE'S CAR **

Evangeline drives while soothing her son's uneasiness.

EVANGELINE: Don't worry. Everything's under control.

PRICE: But he has you all upset. And you've been driving for a long time now.

EVANGELINE: I'm not upset, baby. I'm not upset. Just determined.

Evangeline SEES Dillon's car turn up an extended dirt road.

In a few more moments, she turns in the same direction.

EVANGELINE: (to herself) I'm not too familiar with this area.

UP AHEAD, Evangeline views Dillon pull up to the end of this road, then get out of his car.

She stops her own vehicle, some fifty feet behind him as she views a few men approach Dillon. A flashlight shinned at Dillon's face, noticeable objects in which appear to be guns seen in the hands of the men welcoming Dillon while Dillon follows them on up a turn.

Evangeline becomes panicked.

EVANGELINE: Okay, Price, you don't have to tell mommy twice. I'm getting us out of here right now.

She prepares to back her car up.

However --

Knock, knock!

Evangeline jumps in her seat at the sound, turns to see an UPSET MAN with a gun in his hand standing at her car window. He signals for her to get out of her car, and he means business.

Evangeline knowing that she is now truly caught up in some hella-sketchy stuff.

The sun rising toward a new day.

**AS INSIDE VALENTINE MANSION - THE CONTROL ROOM **

Some of Dillon's crew slanting against the wall with their weapons in hand.

Dillon angrily marches over to Goon who is looking over some papers, and punches Goon straight across the face, Goon tumbling to the floor, the papers scattering everywhere.

He furiously looks up at Dillon while holding his bruised jaw.

GOON: You'd better had a good reason for that, boy.

DILLON: How about Price? Is that good enough?!

Goon instantly coming to his feet, his face full of astonishment.

GOON: You visited Evangeline?

DILLON: What'd you think I'd just never stop by?

GOON: Dillon, I was going to --

DILLON: Forget it!

GOON: But --

DILLON: I said forget it! Everybody out! Out now!

Goon, still holding onto his jaw, signals for the others to leave the room.

Upset Man entering as they are exiting.

UPSET MAN: Dillon, there's something you ought to see.

DILLON: (not even looking the man's way) It can wait.

UPSET MAN: No, you really ought to see this.

Dillon briefly managing to snap out of his anger tantrum as he turns to Upset Man.

**AS OUTSIDE THE MANSION – IN THE BACKYARD – MORNING **

Lucas kicks dirt in the middle of the circle of his sleeping gang.

Peyton, Valentine, Brooke, Felix, Nathan, and Haley all immediately waking up at the sudden noise.

Valentine reflexively pointing her pistol at Lucas, then lowering it when she sees that it's just him.

Lucas, with the pack of utensils thrown over his shoulder, hair dirtied up, face and clothes stained with smut, Lucas looking more serious than ever, tosses a quick glance towards Peyton, then the rest of the gang.

LUCAS: Now, I know that you're all pissed me at me. But it isn't the time for that, and if you feel that it is the time for that, well, then please…take your anger out on the people who are keeping you here first. Once we get out of here alive, if you still feel the need to beat my ass to a silly pulp, then by all means…go for it, but right now we fight…them.

Peyton standing to cast a livid gaze at Lucas.

Lucas meeting her daring eyes.

LUCAS: We have to put our issues aside for now, Peyton… Take all that anger you have for me and use to help fight your way out of here.

He turns to the others.

LUCAS: All of you…you use that anger you have for me to get your asses out of here alive, understand?

Peyton turns away, going to Valentine, where she takes out a gun from the holster on Valentine's leg, and cocks the gun, focusing all her attention on that in order to keep her from screaming like crazy at Lucas.

Valentine gives Lucas the once-over.

VALENTINE: So, what did you take a roll in the mud before coming over here?

Lucas tosses down a light MRE bag.

LUCAS: I stayed up all night making this.

He bends down, reaches into the bag, and retracts his arm as his hand now has a greasy-looking dark and green-looking substance to it.

Nathan upturns his nose.

NATHAN: What is it, mud?

LUCAS: Camouflage.

Lucas pulls out another greasy MRE bag from his pack, and tosses it to the ground as well.

LUCAS: Enough for everyone.

Brooke's mouth drops open in a brief shock.

BROOKE: Wait, wait, wait, you're saying that you want us to put that icky-looking, must-be-from-the-gunk-in-the-sink stuff all over our bodies?

LUCAS: If you want to survive, yes.

Felix shrugs.

FELIX: I'm in.

NATHAN: I'm in too.

Haley sighs.

HALEY: Throw one of those bags over here.

Valentine goes to the second bag on the ground, immediately dipping her hands into the stuff, and rubbing it across her face and arms.

Lucas even more stern in what he means.

LUCAS: Our clothing is already dark enough. We just have to blend in with the rest of the trees as much as possible. If there's any spot on your clothes that seems not dark enough, cover them with the gunk.

Peyton moving right in front of Lucas, her eyes still cold, but she bends down beside Valentine to apply the gunk to herself as well.

The tension between she and Lucas most certainly can be cut with a knife.

**AS ****BACK** **INSIDE** **VALENTINE** **MANSION**** – A BARE ROOM **

Dillon stands in front of Evangeline and Price who are seated before him, Price in Evangeline's lap as she holds on tightly to her son.

DILLON: It was stupid of you to follow me. I usually never let myself get trailed so easily, but what can I say…other than my mind had just taken a major hit from a lying, two-faced, train-wreck of a woman?

EVANGELINE: What have you gotten yourself mixed up in now, Dillon?

Dillon doesn't answer her and instead walks to Upset Man who is guarding the door.

DILLON: You know the drill: Make sure that they don't leave this room.

Dillon begins to leave, but then turns to Upset Man again.

DILLON: I don't want them manhandled in any, way, shape, or form either, you got it? Make sure they get food, water, bathroom breaks, all of that stuff, but nothing else.

UPSET MAN: Got it, Dill.

Dillon exits --

**OUT INTO THE CORRIDOR **

Closing the door behind him.

His gang, all ready, guns in hand, to take off into the backyard.

DILLON: Let's do this.

They march down the corridor.

**AS OUTSIDE THE MANSION – BACKYARD **

Dillon's men cock their guns.

One BUILT MAN spitting out chewing tobacco to the dirt.

Dillon moves out in front of his gang.

DILLON: Follow my lead. Hopefully, the traps lying around this place killed one or two of those idiots by now. As for Scott, like I've said before…leave him to me.

Dillon moves ahead, rifle in hand, his men carefully following his lead.

DILLON: It sure feels like deer-hunting.

**AS SOMEWHERE OFF INTO THE WOODS **

Nathan and Haley are splayed out on their bellies behind a couple of bushes, the greasy substance covering their bodies having taken effect to somewhat blend them in with their surroundings.

HALEY: My heart is pounding a mile a minute.

NATHAN: You want to know something? Mine is too.

**AS FIVE MILES FROM THERE **

Brooke and Felix have their backs against a nest of tightly grouped trees.

BROOKE: You think this will work?

FELIX: Let's hope it all works, or else…we're dead.

**AT A LITTLE WAYS ****AWAY**** FROM BROOKE AND FELIX **

Peyton sits opposite of Valentine, as both grease up some rope.

**AND NOT TOO FAR FROM PEYTON AND VALENTINE **

Lucas keeps a look out in a tree, his hands tightly gripping the bark as his breathing tries to pace itself.

LUCAS: By whatever miracle, please let us all survive this.

Crack in branch!

Abruptly…

...Lucas loses his footing, falling eight feet to the ground. Thud! Lucas moaning in pain.

LUCAS: Arrgh!


End file.
